How My Most Embarrassing Moment Created A New Friendship
My most embarrassing moment turned into a friendship thanks to adhd and impulse control… Back in 2010, during the height of “The Office” popularity and after more hand surgeries than I can count, I woke up one morning completely unable to move the pinky finger on my right hand. I had two toddlers and was extremely exhausted all the time(the reason behind my fatigue is a story for a different day) but this exhaustion really hindered my ability to filter and not blurt out my impulsive adhd thoughts…
Being that bizarre things happen to my body all the time, I didn’t panic. I called my hand surgeon, who was only a few years older, and had kids the same age as our sons. He was a genuinely nice guy and a few months earlier I had inquired whether he was allowed to be friends with patients. He didn’t give a straight answer, instead he told me a story about a crazy stalkerish patient, I took that as a no. Ha!
On the phone he explained how insanely busy he was that week but that he could see me in two days. “Come in at 11am, and I will MAKE the time to see you. I’ll slip you in the back door if I have to!” My sleepy response, to this professional, my HAND SURGEON… “That’s what she said.”
SILENCE. You could hear a pin drop. My sudden horror, panic and total embarrassment is like nothing I have ever felt before. “Okay then, I’ll see you Wednesday.” He said, breaking the awkward silence.
A few months later at a post surgery checkup, we made plans to get our families together at a local restaurant. That summer they invited us over for a BBQ. I was standing outside with him when he casually asked while flipping a burger, “Hey, do you remember that time on the phone when your tendon snapped and you made the “That’s what she said joke?” My stomach flopped, “Errr, ummmm.. yes?” “Yeah…” he chuckled, “THAT was the moment I knew we could be friends!” I explained that was the most embarrassing moment of my life. He laughed, again.
As for my finger. “Why the hell did you not come in sooner!!?? You snapped your tendon! How could you ignore that?? This was an emergency situation!! I could have repaired it had you come in that day!” Instead he had to tie the now shriveled tendon to my ring finger tendon. I can only lift my pinky via my ring finger, buuut there is a cool little knot that moves under the skin on the back of my hand when I do. I take that, and our friendship, as a win.
