When I was twelve, I heard the song “If You’re Gonna be Dumb,” by Roger Allen Wade for the first time. The song gets dicey, but the overarching idea is that if you are going to be dumb, you truly have to be tough with the consequences that may accompany. This simple idea can be applied to every aspect of life, as masterfully as Wade rambles, “that’s the way it is in life and love.”
When I was younger, I had the bright idea of running around the house with a pillowcase over my head. In hindsight, it was a terrible idea, I know. My friends and I were goofing around when the idea of walking blindly with a pillowcase on our heads came up. You’d think that one would know the layout of the house that he’d grown up in, but that’s where you’re wrong. Turns out, you truly cannot see anything out of a navy pillowcase. I ran smack-dab into a coffee table and ended up busting my head open. It sounds worse than it really was; only 4 staples were needed to mend my poor decision-making. I remember watching my mother’s face turn from shock to disappointment within mere minutes. I flaunted my staples at school, reeling in respect from my male peers and looks of disgust from my female counterparts. “If you’re gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.”
Such an applicable phrase to so many instances throughout life, but how does it compare to everything in love? My senior year of high school, amidst my procrastination and “Senioritis,” I found myself falling for the cute, redhead girl that sat next to me in Spanish class. Prom season rolled around, and I found myself without a care in the world regarding the formal dance. Turns out the cute, redheaded girl that I sat next to in Spanish class really wanted a date to prom.
Here’s where the “dumb” part comes into play. Word got around that mi amore didn’t have a date to prom and “wouldn’t say no” if I asked her. Well, being the stubborn, nincompoop that I am, I stuck to my guns and allowed my previous mindset about prom to thrive.
Dumb, dumb, dumb. Mistake numero dos was letting my mom talk me into going to prom alone. Yikes, right? I was truly being dumb. Here was this girl that I had developed a massive crush on, and suddenly all things moved towards me actually having a chance to take her on a date.
Oh, how I wish I could go back and change everything about that course of events. I ended up going to prom alone, but with a group of friends, and much to my dismay the cute, redhead that I sat next to in Spanish class was ever-present during my prom experience; talk about extremely awkward. After that painful experience, I was greeted with angry, disapproving looks every time I sat down in Spanish class. “Everything you do in life and love,” man, those words rung loud and true every time I saw that cute, redhead who sat next to me in Spanish class.
Some things you learn in life and some things you look for after a life lesson or experience. Those lyrics are extremely applicable to my life, as I live through many dumb decisions of my past. For the all the dumb moments in life, just remember, “you gotta be tough.”
by Will Blase, Staff writer
