A Funny Tale

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first installment of #flashbackfriday! I thought it would be hilarious if once a month, I look back into the past and tell you guys a funny story of something that happened a while back. I was inspired to write about this particular tale by thedailypost’s Dictionary, Schmictionary post, so, credits to that. Anyway, I thought you guys might get a laugh out of this, so here we go! (Also, I know I’ve been bad about past series on my blog, so I’m going to make an effort to revive them. It’s time to add a little spunk to my miniscule corner of the world wide web!)

I must’ve been only nine or ten when this happened, but I can remember the incident perfectly. Even as a little girl, I’d always had a tendency to try and use big words whenever I could, even when I didn’t fully understand their definitions. It’s safe to say that I was a pompous child, perhaps. I still do attempt to insert complex words from my vocabulary into my mundane conversations, but not on the scale that I used to. I think this incident is one of the things that helped tone it down.

So, I was talking to my friend over the phone, thanking her for a special gift she’d given me – a book. As I was talking, a sudden urge fell over me to try and impress her like I always did around other people, and thinking I was being clever, I slyly inserted a new word I’d learned into my thanks.

“I’m just appalled by this new book!”

Yes, yes, I know. Mortifying.

My mother rushed to my aide, helping me correct myself in a (hopefully) nonchalant manner. But still, I fumbled over the rest of my words and hurried to end the conversation. The heat of humility made my cheeks flush a vivid scarlet. In all my pride, I’d thought that appalled meant pleased, not horrified. *smacks forehead*

I can laugh about it now, but it was really quite distressing at the time. I was very, very upset. I don’t, and never have, enjoyed the sensation of being wrong – if I must confess, I secretly take pride in feeling confident in my eloquence. No one likes making mistakes, but me even less. I feel like that’s something that everyone can relate to in some way – everyone has a skill or a passion that they feel like they’re the best at. We all want to be revered.

So, in conclusion, allow me to give you a word of advice – check your vocabulary before you speak.