36 People On The Best Mistake They’ve Ever Made

1. Kicked in the head.

Getting kicked in the head. After the MRI they discovered a brain tumor.

2. Sending in the wrong writing sample to a prospective employer.

My friend falls ass backwards into a lot of good things. He wanted to be a journalist at a newspaper. When he was applying, he sent examples of his work. He accidentally sent one story that he had to print a retraction for. He figured he screwed up, so just move on.

He gets an interview with the paper and they say they appreciated the fact that he had the courage to send a mistake as part of his writing samples to see how he dealt with mistakes. Got the job.

3. A wrong turn.

I once took a wrong turn and found a delicious breakfast spot. Still go there to this day.

4. Buying a car.

Buying my first car for 450 euro and then figuring out that it was a bad buy and needed one too many repairs, but then after two weeks finding 1700 euro under the passenger seat.

5. Missing the call that was offering him his first position out of college.

First job out of college. They called offering me a “contract” job. I accidentally deleted the call. They saw it as a rejection and offered a full time direct hire position at 10K more.

I would have taken the contract in a heartbeat.

6. Putting down 11 euros at the casino rather than 1.

In a casino once, I was playing the electronic roulette and wanted to put £1 on 25 (I remember the number well). I accidentally put £11 on and it came in. I think it was £385 I won.

7. Not making the deadline for my top school.

When I applied to college, I forgot to submit an application to my “top school” before the deadline. I freaked, called admissions, and begged for an extension. They said they’d allow me to submit an application if I paid an exorbitant late fee. I didn’t have the money.

Fast forward four years later, I’m graduating from a university I love. Oh, and the program I planned to apply to at the other university got cancelled during my sophomore year.

8. Buying the wrong scratch off.

I was going to buy a scratch off once and the clerk gave me the wrong one. I was too chicken shit to correct them and ended up winning $20 on it. So, yay for me.

9. A traffic hold-up.

I was riding my motorcycle home from work one night and I come up to a left hand turn lane behind another car. The light gives us the green left turn arrow and I start to move but the car in front doesn’t. I hit the brakes and accidentally pop the clutch, stalling the bike. I’m cursing myself and the person in front of me when I hear a large “bang” and look up.

A truck coming from the other direction blew through the red light and clipped the back end of the car that was just in front of me. If I hadn’t stalled out there is a damn good chance I would have become a new hood ornament for a Dodge Ram.

10. Getting fired.

Doing freelance work for a friend and getting fired from my job because of it. I ended up applying to a multitude of other jobs that same day; got a call back from a job the next day, scheduled an interview for that day, and got the job that day. I was scared shitless, obviously from getting fired, but after that, I had ended up with a much higher paying job within 24 hours.

11. Getting into a car accident.

I hit another car and extended my mothers life.

I worked nights, but my mother needed to have a ride to make a payment, it was the last day and the co. did not take CC’s but would take a check IN office. So after a 12 hour shift I drove and picked up my mother, drover her to the office, and then was going to take her home. I was too tired, I should not have been driving, but I was. I rear-ended a hatchback at moderate speed (about 40). Airbags went off. Kids in the car in front of me were scared, but ok… The paramedics insisted on taking my mother to the hospital since the airbag had hit her, and her chest hurt.

Found Polycystic kidney disease, on the X-ray… My mother has since become her nephrologist star patient, even recovering some kidney function she had lost (her kidneys were running at about 40%).

The car was a total loss, and it cost me a good chunk in insurance. But hey, my moms alive and no one was injured.

12. Adopting a senior dog.

Long story short, we were told we were adopting an 18m old dog. Two vet records in her history confirmed. We asked our original vet at her first visit (she was just so laid-back for such a young dog), he shrugged and said maybe closer to 2 but 3 tops.

About a year later she got diagnosed with cancer and we learned we had a 9-10 year old dog.

We had her for about two years. It ended up being pretty expensive and heartbreaking but I’d do it all over again a million times over, no question. I was definitely the person who thought I didn’t have it in me to own a pet with such a short time left, but I was wrong. Better to have a short time with the perfect pet than no time.

13. Getting busted for committing forgery.

When I was 18, I stole a check, committed forgery and got busted. I was given a deal by the judge that if I joined the military, I would not go to jail and then probation etc. Did that. Became a kick ass electronics tech in the Navy, spent 6 years in, including being in the gulf war. Got out, now have an AWESOME job in similar field, own a house, vehicles, all that. Had I not stolen that check, I may have ended up some kind of druggie loser or worse back in my little shit hometown. I was in a downward spiral in a huge way. I live far away from there now.

14. Driving “like a gangster.”

When I was a teenager, I thought it was cool to scoot the seat of my car all the way back and hold the wheel like a gangster. That same summer, a drunk driver crossed into my lane on the highway and totaled my car. An enormous rod of broken metal was sent through the driver’s side door and was imbedded 2 feet into the cabin. Being a gangster actually saved me from getting my heart impaled.

15. Dressing too casually for a job interview.

Forgetting to bring a jacket to my job interview 2-and-a-half years ago. I made a good impression by being clean-cut but not too dressy.

16. Missing a vein while shooting up.

Missed a vein shooting tar/crystal and got an abscess. Ended up having to have four surgeries. Been off the shit for over a year now. Life is fantastic and beautiful.

17. Being a little too frank with the girlfriend.

I told my girlfriend that she was bad at oral…she took it as a challenge.

18. Spilling on a steak.

Spilling Italian dressing on my steak when I was 12.

19. Spilling cayenne pepper in the casserole.

Making a casserole thingy for supper, I wanted to throw in some cayenne pepper. We had just gotten a new bottle that had a different style to the lid. It was a flip-top that exposed the little grill that a small amount can sprinkle through. But I was used to the last bottle that you had to unscrew and remove the top to expose that grill. So I unscrewed it, didn’t look, and just started dumping it. At least half the bottle went in immediately, and I stopped in shock. A pile stayed floating on the top, so I tried removing some with a spoon but it was no use. Oh well, I stirred it in and continued. I hate wasting food even though I was sure I had ruined dinner.

Holy fuck was it delicious.

20. Trading in an r1.

I accidentally got drunk and traded my $8000 r1 for an English bulldog puppy. Probably would have killed myself by now on the r1 and I have the sweetest little cuddle buddy ever.

21. Getting back together with a crazy ex.

Got back together with my ex girlfriend. She ended up cheating on me, lied to me, and falsely accused me of sexual assault. When I found out about the charge, I was drinking in my friend’s room because I was depressed. He had some friends come over that I had never met before one of which was a cute girl. I went back to my place to receive a text from my friend that as soon as I left she said I was cute.

A year later I’m currently dating this girl and am madly in love. Would’ve never met her if I never got back together with my ex.

22. Marrying a cheater.

Getting married to a batshit crazy woman, having my only child (son) with her, then her being a serial adulteress so I had to divorce her.

I got my boy.

23. Dropping a flash drive.

Accidentally dropped my flash drive behind my dresser when setting it down; When I pulled back the dresser, I found my old Pokémon games that I thought were stolen.

24. Doing anal.

I allowed a bf to perform anal on me and he found my stillborn conjoined twin with the glans (aka, just the tip) of his penis. It turned out to be something that I needed to have surgically removed. Time was of the essence, had I not had it removed I could have eventually ended up with a type female colorectal cancer.

25. Sending a dick pic to the wrong girl.

Dick pic to the wrong Sarah. The insanely hot Sarah. Also the Sarah who lives 5 min away. Also the Sarah who had found out about her bf cheating on her a few days before. Thus the Sarah I had a fuck buddy thing with for a few weeks. I’m a whore for hot chicks.

26. Falling in love with an idiot.

Fell in love with an idiot and moved to a city for him. Found my dream PhD position over here.

27. Buying “ecstasy.”

Taking meth. Was sold to me as ecstasy.

But hey I got a lot done.

28. Drinking too much the night before an important meeting.

Showed up late to a pitch with a big investor. I was hung-over, limping because I was recovering from a broken ankle, and just a mess.

Something must have worked because they are now funding my next film.

29. Having unprotected sex.

Got drunk on Four Loko, didn’t pull out, wife forgot her BC script…our daughter turns 2 in 2 weeks.

I never wanted to be a parent, and didn’t think I’d be good at it. Turns out its pretty good and I am actually a better parent than the wife (she stresses about stupid stuff).

It isn’t easy, but just sitting next to my daughter watching whatever on TV makes me happier than anything ever has in my life.

Note- I’m in my 30’s and both wife and I are gainfully employed. Didn’t want you guys to think we are some 16 and pregnant rejects.

30. Going to the wrong park for a date.

On one of our first dates, my wife and I decided to go to a park in Chicago just to walk around. After we left, we realized that we were not at the park we thought we were at, and we read the next day that there was an armed mugging at the park we thought we were at.

31. Med School.

Going to med school. Even though I failed out, it taught me how to be more productive. I was bummed afterwards, but I hated life during it and don’t think I would’ve been happy doing it. And hospitals are full of assholes.

32. Cutting her dad out of her life.

Continuing not to talk to my dad.

It’s been over five years now. I consider it a mistake because of obvious reasons. He’s my father. I love him.

However, I’m a new person because of it. I’m more confident, wise, willing, and stable. I’m doing things today that I didn’t think I was ever good enough back then.

Now, he was a great dad in terms of providing for me, but some of his methods (of which a few have stuck) were tough to break through. One of those things is the ability to say no, especially to him. Another was his negative reinforcement. That one, I still lean on. Basically, I can do a fantastic job at something, but “I know I can do better.” When I was with him, it felt more like “I’m never good enough.” I can see the positive of it now, but it was so tough back then.

So, it’s a mistake to cut him out completely, but I’m a better person all around, I think.

33. Filling out the wrong form.

I filled out a form wrong got a phone call one day and changed what I was doing that day because of it. I left town when I would have been going in to wait for the bus. An earthquake happened that day and killed hundreds of people in town. I had just left.

34. Dropping a fry.

Dropped a fry in my frosty. Pure heaven now.

35. Forgetting razor at girlfriend’s house.

Forgot my shaver at my girlfriend’s house. Went back to get it. She was in bed with her ex. So now she is my ex. Saved my life. Now I am with an amazing woman. It does get better folks.

36. Missing an acceptance letter.

My sister got accepted to a top 25 MBA school. She never saw the acceptance letter that arrived in the mail offering a half scholarship. When she didn’t respond, the school sent her a second letter several weeks later offering a full ride. The lost letter saved her around $35k.