Your Name In Italics

In her book called “Out of My Mind,” the author, Katharine Brush, confesses to several episodes in which she made A “blithering idiot” of herself, as she put it. For instance…

There was the time that somebody told me that black moustache wax made a wonderful mascara for the eyelashes, and I tried it out. It seemed to work, and I went to a reception quite starry-eyed with moustache wax. When I was introduced to the distinguished guest, he took me aside and whispered, “I just wanted to tell you that you have a black smudge on your cheek.” “OH, dear,” I replied, “that’s my moustache wax.” As I busied myself wiping it off, the distinguished guest, looking very perplexed, walked away shaking his head.

Later that evening, when it was time to say farewell to the distinguished guest, still flustered, I shook his hand and assured him fervently that I was very sorry to have met him. Sensing my embarrassment over the…