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Health & Fitness

Muchacho Meets Muchacha in the Restroom

I observed that pink was an unusual color for walls in a men's restroom. Then when a person of the opposite sex entered the door it occurred to me that I was in the wrong restroom.

The . I like Mexican food. But trying to nail me down to one eatery out of many in Cherokee County is impossible. One location has the creamiest cheese dip. Another tantalizes my taste buds with the salsa. I enjoy the spicy chicken in my burrito at a location down on the south side of Canton. Of course, I find it difficult to eat guacamole at any restaurant. It may be delicious, but it just looks gross.

I have a tendency to drink too much sweet tea when I eat Mexican food. This means I usually find myself having to visit the restroom. A few weeks ago, I visited a Mexican restaurant. After drinking too much sweet tea, I got up to go to the men’s room. My bladder was telling me I needed to find it soon. The waiter pointed me in the direction of the restroom and glancing at the door, I entered. I quickly noticed there were no urinals in this restroom. I also observed that pink was an unusual color for walls in a men’s restroom. When a person of the opposite sex entered the door, it occurred to me that I was in the wrong restroom.

The owner, in trying to keep with cultural relevance, had put “muchacha” and “muchacho” on the doors, one being male and one being female. Now I could have blamed the restaurant owner for my embarrassment, but it was my weak bladder and quick feet that sent me through the wrong door. Plus, I have Spanish speaking friends, spent time in a Spanish speaking country, and suffered through two years of Spanish in high school. I should have known the difference between “muchacha” and “muchacho.”

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We live in a society that takes pleasure in blaming others for our failures. If we have to be honest, the biggest obstacle to our own success in life is ourselves. How many relationships do we have to burn through? How many careers do we have to restart? How many churches do we have to leave? All before we start taking responsibility for our actions.

When we take responsibility, we soon discover life’s struggles are growth opportunities. We can’t grow from our mistakes, our struggles, our pains unless we take responsibility for our lives.

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Choose today to not blame others for how your life ends up. Accept responsibility and take action. Do not hide behind a mask of avoidance. Acknowledge your mistakes. Accept failure as a potential growth moment. And take it from this gringo, if you ever find yourself walking into the wrong restroom, there is really only one person to blame.

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