08/19/2022
By Kate Stone Lombardi
I’ve written thousands (yes thousands) of articles over my career, and I still can’t predict which ones are going to get traction. Pieces I spend days laboring over get no notice, while something I write effortlessly in one sitting gets a lot of attention.
Recently, I wrote a story quickly that to my surprise has taken off. It was a memoir piece about the most embarrassing moment of my career. To wit, I wrote an obituary for someone who was still alive.
I don’t mean that in the sense of drafting an obit for a famous person ahead of time, so you don’t have to scramble when the time comes. Oh no. I mean I mistakenly wrote up someone’s death and it was published when he was very much alive. Did I describe this as “embarrassing”? Better words would be “mortifying” and “humiliating.”
Anyway, this happened long ago, so I don’t know what impulse has made me drag it up. Maybe I’m now old enough not to give a (fill in the blank) about looking stupid anymore. So here, I am, doubling down by blogging it. Enjoy the full story by clicking the link.
And may it comfort you the next time you want to disappear out of shame.