Giggles & Scribbles Issue #19
Personal Stories and Writing Gold
About the Newsletter
Welcome to the nineteenth edition of Giggles & Scribbles. You will enjoy personal stories from my life that often bring a giggle, especially when they include my three monsters. I will also add a tip from writing, reading, or goal-making. Every Thursday, I will publish an issue including one personal story and 1-2 tips on either writing, reading, or goal-making.
I aim to share my journey and keep you coming back for more!
Personal Story:
*Shame on me for being late two times now… Please forgive a busy working mother! 💗
Thankfully Not My 18-year-old Self Anymore!
Have you ever had those moments where you reflect upon your younger self?
If so, you probably shake your head and play the game of, “If I only knew then what I know now…”
This particular memory does not showcase me at my best, but it’s still a part of me. (And according to my students, I’m savage.)
Here’s a glimpse into my younger, savage self…
When I was eighteen and a senior in high school, I was dating a guy from work. He was a year behind me in school. We had been together for about five months, but with graduation on the horizon, I didn’t see myself dating a younger dude anymore.
So, I made plans to break up with him.
The evening I was intending to end it, I learned about something very interesting about his family, more specifically—his dad.
Before I get into what I learned, I first have to point out that back in good ‘ole ‘99 in Central Florida, there was big talk about this exciting new theme park: Islands of Adventure.
They marketed hard.
In particular, they promoted a roller coaster that was extremely unique and special.
As a coaster buff, I was beyond curious.
Enter my fella’s dad.
He was the lead engineer for this specific roller coaster. Of course, I thought this was super cool. Was this enough to stick around? Of course not.
However…
Sitting around my boyfriend’s family dinner table, I learned that he was offering two tickets to his son to be on the first civilian ride of the roller coaster.
THAT was enough!
We went on the roller coaster (image above—The Hulk) and had a blast!
Three days later, I ended the relationship.
Brutal? Perhaps…
But then again, I love being able to say I was on the very first civilian ride of the popular coaster!
More than two decades later I feel disappointed in many of my younger self’s decisions.
But then again, we learn from our mistakes, right??
Enter the tip of the day.
Tip of the Day:
Mistakes Can’t Always Be Fixed
Sadly, not all mistakes can be fixed with a simple apology, duct tape, whiteout, or flowers. But what we can do is learn from them.
I’m sure I will be sharing more of my faux pas in future articles. I definitely have plenty of them.
However, I’ve certainly learned through the years that it is perfectly fine.
We grow from our mistakes. As long as we don’t consistently make the same mistake—then it’s just a bad habit—then we’re simply imperfect humans.
I encourage everyone to think back to some lesser-than-perfect moments in their past and reflect upon what they’ve learned from them. Consider how those memories have shaped you into the person you are today.
It will be eye-opening, and potentially life-changing. Or maybe even life-affirming.
XO,
Erica
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