it’s natural to blunder along Life’s journey
August 9th 2025. 3 min read
Some years ago, my topic for the Humorous Speech Contest was ‘My Blunders’ .
I have made many blunders in my daily life with no real damage done to anyone except made some people laugh. This time is Blunders 2.
Where shall I start? Maybe from the start of my working life. At 18 after college, when I had no money to pursue my Uni studies, I knew the best paying job was an air stewardess job.
Back then, SQ was not an icon and the flights were limited to mostly Asia.
After training, we were given 5 trainee flights during which you could commit errors when flying solo.
Being the first time in the plane, I walked backwards when the plane taxied forward.
On one flight, I announced the wrong destination after the plane landed in Bangkok. It was a mindless moment and I quickly corrected myself. The passengers collectively heaved a sigh of relief after their exclamation.
On one flight in First Class, I spilled champagne on a. passenger as I was not steady. Fortunately, the passenger happened to be conversing with the training check personnel and she immediately pointed to my trainee badge. All was forgiven.
On one trip to Hong Kong, when I was still a newbie, I noticed my senior colleagues taking drinks even liquors before disembarking so I put a coca cola can on top of my opened hand carry bag.
It was not the right thing to do, but it was monkey see monkey do.
At the check in of the crew hotel, as I put my bag down, the Coca Cola can fell out. It started to roll across the marble lobby floor.
Imagine the drama with the sound of the rolling can while my crew members and I watched with trepidation and despair as it travelled some 10m and finally hit the polished shoe of my training supervisor.
He looked up, motioned me forward, and I knew that my career was over for sure. Instead, he leaned over and said, “Next time put it right into the bag!” Phew!
And there were many more but I would like to talk about my blunders in other settings.
As a young dental student, I remembered an incident involving an oral diagnosis on a patient. The patient had oral mucofibrosis which was a serious condition. It involves the mouth becoming very fibrous and limited his opening. It carried a risk of oral cancer.
When the Professor asked me what cure could be provided, I, an unthinking blundering lass said no cure!
Subsequently I was chided for being insensitive to which I have learned to become more tactful.
As they say “Folly belongs to the youth”.
It got more embarrassing. One day, a relative came to my in law’s house with her husband.
I mistook him for her son as he was dressed in a T shirt and kaki shorts. “Your son has grown” I said
“ This is my husband “. She said, looking annoyed.
“Oh, sorry your husband do look young in that outfit” but I was sure that did not help.
Let me be clear!
I am very careful when rendering treatment with no incidents but I blundered in trite matters that were laughable.
One day in my current practice, an old friend Leah whom I haven’t met for years said she would bring her maid for dental treatment.
When my dental assistant announced their arrival in the clinic, I went out and immediately hug her while she was seated at the sofa.
“ Leah, nice to see you!” Only to notice seconds later that Leah was standing at the counter, amused. Abashed, I turned to hug Leah, “Oh Leah, nice to see you” and tried to sweep the fiasco under the carpet by changing the subject. Leah’s eyes twinkled.
It happened again another time. My long time patient has brought a lady seated on my chair. As I turned around after washing my hands, I exclaimed, “ Oh your daughter has grown” , only to find out she was her Philippino helper. Embarrassed, I apologised realising the patient is only in her late thirties.
My most recent boo boo came in the form of a text message. I had sent a car to my son’s friend who owns a mechanic shop.
Subsequently, I sent a message to my son, Joe but it wrongly sent to his mechanic friend instead.
Text went like this;
“Dear, I would like to send you the massage cream for your backache. Also Cook the Japanese beef curry for you.”
It was later that I noticed the error and instantly corrected it;
“Sorry , I meant to send the message to my son for his backache🤣🤣🤣you must think I am a crazy Auntie and customer.”
His Reply; “Oh no I thought my dinner is settled tonight 😝”
My reply; “Hahaha🤣Have changed your contact from ‘Joe’s mechanic friend, Shaun’ to ‘Shaun, mechanic boss, Joe’s friend’ so I won’t see ‘Joe’ first.
I have since slowed down and filter my thoughts and actions.
Blunders will still happen as we are human. We could make light of these incidents if we share and laugh about them. Nothing to feel guilty about. As long as we learn from them and become more refined.
(For Blunders 1, search Blunders by Summer Lotus)
