Twenty-six of the greatest lessons I was ever taught.

This is a chapter from The ABCs of Dan M. Wilson.

This simple word, in the proper context, was one of my least favorites to hear from your grandfather. And why? Because I would hear this word when I had made a big mistake.

Grandpa Dan, upon hearing my latest tale of questionable logic or action, would utter the following line while shaking his head:

“Stupid, Kenny. Stupid.”

He would then either advise me on how we would need to remedy whatever situation I had gotten myself into or would sternly lecture me on why I should never do whatever I had done again.

How is this a life lesson, though? Through all of these terrifying exercises I learned to admit when I had made a mistake…and to make a concerted effort to learn from them.

During my childhood my mistakes were dealt with a verbal lashing as well as a visit from the the paddle. But as I grew older, Mom and Dad felt that they could rationalize with me and that I was capable of learning from my mistakes so the paddle stopped making appearances in favor of talking things out. Typically Mom handled the offenses that were deemed misdemeanors. Dad, however, was in charge of the felonies. Whew.

Openly admitting when you’ve made a mistake – and seeking help from the proper person or persons – will save you (and anyone else involved) a lot of trouble.

Openly admitting when you’ve made a mistake – and seeking help from the proper person or persons – will save you (and anyone else involved) a lot of trouble. It takes a lot of courage at times to ‘fess up to something you’ve done wrong but you’re in the fortunate situation where you’ll always be surrounded by people that care about you and are willing to help.

That, in essence, is what Grandpa Dan was so succinctly saying whenever he’d drop a “Stupid, Kenny. Stupid” line on me. I knew without a doubt that I had done the right thing by admitting that I’d made a mistake even if I knew I was in for quite a lecture shortly thereafter.

Always remember that as you grow older and make your way in the world, your Mom and I will be a mere phone call away if you ever need something…even if you’ve done something that warrants a chant of “Stupid, Alex. Stupid.”