5 Ways to Bounce Back After Saying the Wrong Thing

0

Head in HandsI didn’t earn the nickname “Tourettes” for my great small-talk skills. If there is a way to accidentally offend someone, I will find it. Here are some of my favorites:

When I took my daughter Katherine, whom my husband and I named after my grandmother and my great grandmother, two very strong women in our family tree whom I wanted to celebrate in my girl’s name, to meet her third-grade teacher, the teacher asked her, “What would you like to be called?”

She responded, “Katie.”

Taken aback, I immediately retorted, “No! No, no, no! … You don’t want to be called Katie! … Katherine is so much more sophisticated.” I went on and on why she should not be called Katie. (I do like the name Katie for every Katie who is reading this, but I was attached to Katherine for heritage reasons.)

What I didn’t realize is that the teacher’s name was Katie.

Continue reading …

Share this:

Therese Borchard
I am a writer and chaplain trying to live a simple life in Annapolis, Maryland.

More about me...


FOLLOW ME

SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG



Recent

June 11, 2023
Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You
May 20, 2023
Please Let Me Cry
February 16, 2023
Love Being Loving
January 22, 2023
15 Winter Depression Busters
November 27, 2022
The Place of Gratitude in Our Pilgrimage

Related Posts

4 Responses
  1. John Diehl

    I was given the nickname “loose cannon” for speaking my thoughts. Then I was placed on the “need to know” list, as in “doesn’t need to know,” because I might spout a contrary opinion, or have an anxiety attack followed by a depressive bout.

    Since my youth, I had/have a greater problem with doing the wrong thing: actions and especially inaction. I still carry guilt and remorse from 40 years ago for things I should’ve/ could’ve done. Maybe I’ll start dropping rocks in the lake.

    1. Therese Borchard

      That’s funny, John. There is a beer “Loose Cannon” 🙂 If you drop the rocks, just don’t steal them from the Naval Academy. Still have guilt on that one.

      1. liberty920

        I left a comment that is waiting for moderation, concerning a recent exchange with a bank teller. I’ve been feeling down all day about something I said that was taken the wrong way; it was clarified with the receiver the moment I said it but I still feel bad. Christmas is just days away and I do not want to carry this around for a week. I feel that going back and trying to re-clarify or apologize would just make things worse. For all I know she may have put it our of her mind already.

        Help!

  2. Rod

    I can relate to this in a most sincere way. A few years ago, I went to see my Dr that had just previously prescribed me an anxiety med to replace one that I had stopped and I never told him I stopped it since it seemed like no big deal. Three weeks later I came down with withdrawals that I in no way linked to the stoppage of my anxiety med the previous weeks ago. My Dr never asked about whether I was still taking my previous anxiety med and gave me one that was too short acting. I went to see him a day before I was going out of town because I wasn’t able to see him on my next scheduled appt and when I arrived my anxiety med had worn off and I was very depressed as a result. I ended up saying the wrong thing and he carelessly prescribed a combo of dangerous meds that caused me to have a severe reaction that has left me clinging to life a couple of years later. I personally feel it ruined my life and the Dr admitted it was his bad advice. I have deeply regretted this and it haunts me to this day, this has been a most painful lesson and one that is impossible to forget.