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When I was asked to choose a topic for free speech as part of our Leadership and Management skills workshop, I decided on something that would come easily and naturally out of my memory. For someone as lost as me, “Blonde Moments” seemed apt! I announced it only to hear people ask me what it meant. Forget the lexicon; I’d define it as an embarrassing moment caused out of one’s own ignorant act or statement.

Origin of the word

I’m no etymologist, but I suppose it comes from the conventional belief that the golden-haired blondes may be attractive on the outside but are extremely stupid on the inside. Perhaps that’s how the phrase “Beauty and brains don’t go together” came about. Like, in India, there are “saddu” jokes, blonde jokes are popular and though in reality it has nothing to do with the real IQ level of the saddus or the blondes; it’s just come to mean that way. It’s come to an extent where if anyone did anything remotely stupid and embarrassed themselves, they’d say “Oh, I just had a blonde moment.” Before I walked up, my classmate Sonia asked, “Blonde moments? You?” I respect Sonia’s opinion on my sanity, but here’s the secret you shouldn’t know — I have more blonde moments than an average individual.

Just fortunately for me, most of these moments go unnoticed at large but regrettably only the people whom I dearly hope haven’t noticed, would do! Last year, we had two theory exams on the same day. For a pure commerce material, theory papers may be creative writing session. It didn’t really matter which of the two came first. I walked into the exam hall in full gusto and got the paper that was passed back and skimmed through. Wow! Familiar stuff… I ticked off the questions I had to write. Rolled up my sleeves, slashed the margins on all the sheets, sat upright like a real know-it-all, and just as I begin, the girl beside me, says, “Hey…That’s my BBA paper.” Cry. Sob. Weeps. Blonde moments at workplaces can be blasphemous!

Where can it happen?

On an internship, while interacting with a colleague, I wasn’t listening. I had to make the best use of the short period there and was mentally occupied thinking about my next question. As a response to something, I murmured, “so, where does your dad work?” “He’s retired.” “Oh! I’m sorry!” “No no! He’s just retired,” he replied in panic. Realising my mistake, I said again, “Oh! I m sorry.” I just hope he assumed humanity has reached the stage of empathy and advance condolences even for retired individuals.

Well, if you thought embarrassing moments in personal life didn’t matter? How does it sound if food is your first love, and your parents or your partner call you when you’re mouthful, and you said “Hey, can’t talk now! My lips are occupied with my first love. Can you call later?” You’re lucky if they do! Come on, no one was born knowing it all. Life’s a wisdom walk. You learn to walk only by falling over. Everyone has blonde moments, but more than being the joker of the moment, the better part lies in acknowledging it and laughing it off. Like Elsa Maxwell puts it, “Laugh at yourself, before anyone else can!”

KARTHIKA GANAPATHY IIIrd year, B.Com, M O P Vaishnav College for Women

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