Oops! Who said that?

Experience is a dear teacher and fools will learn no other.

I am one who always tries to learn from my mistakes...and, generally...I do.

Thirty years ago, I bowled in a Thursday night league with some friends. It was a good time, but I have to say that we were all happy when it ended because the bowling season was just so long.

We played a different team each week, and met new bowlers regularly. So, exactly what is it that I remember, and what was the lesson learned??

There was a woman bowling on the next alley on our right side who looked about 'overdue' to call a taxi for that ride to the hospital to deliver a bouncing bambino at any moment. In making conversation, I asked her,

"So, when is the joyous occasion?"

"What do you mean?"

Yep! Yep!! You have probably guessed: She was not pregnant.

I was beyond embarrassed, and vowed that I would never, ever, ever allow that to happen again. Seriously... The octomom could have been close by and I would NOT have said anything other than, "Nice weather we're having lately, wouldn't you agree?

And I haven't had a repeat of that particular 'moment from hell' again!

However, today I did manage to accomplish a similar faux-pas.

I was volunteering at the hospital in the one day surgery waiting room. All was well for most of the afternoon. The phone was answered, the patients were escorted to their room, and the family members were reunited when given the official word. As I finished peeling and sticking the patients' names onto Monday's charts, a [formerly tall] bent over senior man with a cane asked me if I would help him with his coat. He said that it was difficult for him to get the second arm in the sleeve. At the same time, a nurses's aide wheeled a middle aged woman through the hallway enroute to being released. She discovered that she had lost an earring, and asked me to call the nurse's station to see if it was in the bed linen. They sent the man ahead to get the car, the nurse's aide went back to retrieve the earring, and I began to chat with the woman.

Making conversation, matter of factly, I asked her,

"Did your father go to get the car?
"No, that's my husband."

I was wishing that the floor would just swallow me up! Ooph!

She was very gracious and added, "He has gone downhill in the last year."

Let me say right now at this moment in time... that once again...I have learned another lesson.

Never, ever, ever, will I presume to understand or speak of the status of a relationship.

Someone could enter saying, "I am looking for my identical twin sister." And I will say,

"Well, go ahead and take a look around the waiting room!!"

I have learned another important lesson in the category of...'Assume Nothing'

Yep! Yep! Never again!

And you can take that to the bank!!!