If you are anything like me and can’t seem to keep a white shirt white for more than five minutes, than you know that frankly, having your “shit” together all the time is really hard. We all have those days where it feels as if we are on an episode of “Punk’d” minus the celebrity guest that comes out and tells you it’s all a joke in the end. I will never be that girl that smells like she has just walked out of an Abercrombie store all the time or can successfully go 24 hours without severely embarrassing herself in one way or the other. And hey, if you’re like that, kudos to you! But this one is for all the hot messes out there. There are benefits to our perpetual embarrassment.
1. You could probably write a short novel with all the embarrassing things that have happened to you.
Think of it this way: every time you walk into a Dunkin'
Donuts and the ceiling decorations get caught on your hair and you accidentally drag them all down plus the ceiling tile in front of over 20 people, it's another story that you can add to your comedic autobiography. Put together people do not have nearly as much material as us “hot-messes” do. You never know, you can get famous off of your face-cringing experiences one day.
2. You have become a master of untagging yourself In pictures on Facebook.
That cute group shot of you and your friends isn't always so cute on your end. You are probably that one girl who has a strange black smudge on her forehead or is eating in the background sporting a borderline pregnant stomach. Or more commonly, you're getting that piece of lettuce that's stuck in your teeth from the dinner you just ate, mid-picture. Whatever it may be, you are prepared for it and have learned to turn on that feature on Facebook that doesn't let people tag you in pictures until you approve it.
3. You have mastered the art of gracefully recovering from a fall.
We all know that we have literally fallen and tripped our way down multiple staircases and across multiple stages. If we were on "The Bachelor," we would be that one contestant that trips when she exits the limo for the first time. But falling on a patch of black ice down a path in front of half of your University will seem like a walk in the park compared to that time that you fell across the stage at your
high school graduation. Accepting the embarrassment has become second nature to us and though we might have a few bruises, at least we know how to recover from a fall with (
limited) grace.
4. You have learned how to deal with uncomfortable situations.
As a fellow hot mess, the word “uncomfortable” is probably in the predictive word feature on your iPhone. You are a living, breathing example of Murphy’s Law and everything that possibly could go wrong in a situation will most definitely go wrong. Though some may see this as unfortunate, I see it as beneficial. That one time before prom that you shattered your phone, accidentally cut your face, got pulled over on the way to pick up your dress and received Mother Nature’s monthly “gift” all in a matter of 30 minutes will prepare you to accept that not everything in life will go as planned. So when you’re giving a presentation at your dream job and your computer decides to break and everyone wonders how magically were able to cope with it and move on,
smile to yourself.
5. You know how to laugh at yourself.
Sensitivity is not a luxury that you can afford. Whether it was that time that you turned your car off in the middle of the highway while it was in drive and couldn’t get it back on for three light cycles or that time that you walked around for an entire day with your skirt stuck in your underwear, these moments have inevitably given you the ability to laugh at yourself. While some might be horrified for days after they have popped their fifth tire because they were eating queso dip from Moes while they were driving, we have within us the ability to laugh at the things life throws our way.
6. You have learned to accept that life isn’t perfect and that’s OK.
We are never going to be the girls that have the perfect outfit every day or have
nails that are always pristinely painted. I mean c’mon, even when I do manage to paint my nails they have about three minutes before I accidentally ruin them. Let's be real, most of the time we’re lucky if we leave the house with a shirt that isn’t stained. Life is not perfect, it never will be. And as hot messes, we have learned that lesson in it’s entirety.
So if you are a fellow hot mess, I hope reading this article has made you realize that being that girl who accidentally talked to her crush for 30 minutes with ketchup stains on the corner of her mouth from the hamburger she just ate, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Embrace the hot mess, it will benefit you in the long run.
