The summer before my freshman year of college, I signed up for my school’s orientation (CalSO). As my mother drove me to the airport, I felt excited and nervous. This was my first foray into the adult world (before I figured out that college is very much removed from adulthood). I had booked the plane ticket myself and everything.
I arrived and went up to the counter to check-in. The woman at the desk looked at my ticket, puzzled. “Excuse me, but this is the wrong day. This ticket is for a flight on the 6th. That was yesterday. Today is the 7th.”
I immediately froze, uncertain what to do. I ran over to a corner near the ticketing desk. I started thinking of what a terrible mistake this was and how it would affect my career. “If I couldn’t even get something as simple as a plane ticket right, how will I ever get anything else right? If my first step into adulthood failed so terribly, I will fail as an adult.” I started crying. Overwhelmed, I took a taxi home. I never did end up going to orientation.
I’m reminded of this because just yesterday I made a mistake with another plane reservation, thus costing me about $200. However, instead of becoming overwhelmed with anxiety, I can take a more measured perspective. My mistakes and errors and oversights don’t determine my future. I can move on and learn from them without becoming overwhelmed by them. I guess this perspective is part of what it really means to be an adult.
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