I was at a birthday party for a friend about, oh, maybe 8 years ago. He and his family are Mexican and, as such, their birthday parties include Mexican traditions. Growing up in California and living in the southwest the overwhelming majority of my life, I'm at least partially familiar with many of these traditions and cultural underpinnings. I was quite close to the family and was considered, by them, to be part of theirs. This moment, however, may have been the moment when it all started to crumble.
Baked into the celebratory bread, was a figurine baby Jesus that was supposed to be the lucky charm for whoever found it. This particular one was missing an arm (or two, I forget). Everyone laughed and joked, taking turns going around saying stuff like "It's Special Olympics baby" (I cringe even writing that now...thank DOG for growth over time!). I took my turn and said, "It's third world country baby!" The record stopped, the staring began, the shrinking commenced.
A) I had no idea Mexico was considered to be a third world country. (Even now, as I Google it, I'm informed that it is not considered such by Mexican scholars, and is, instead, considered a "developing" country.)
B) I'm an ass.
I apologized then. I apologized later. My apologies were never acknowledged, leaving me with a continued feeling of jackassiness. Lesson to me: shut up. I mean, really, when in doubt - SHUT UP. You're going to have these embarrassing moments, too, my baby. Such is life. You screw up, you apologize and rectify, you learn, you move on (and then you get to do it all over again, ad nauseum, until the day you die...fun huh?).
