I love this quote from Irvine Welsh‘s A Drink With the Boss:
I’m very fortunate in that I’m not that easily embarrassed, which is a good thing as my behaviour has often not been up to scratch, this particularly being the case in my youth. I think that, over the years, I’ve become inured to the type of embarrassment that really fucks some other people up. I’m not sure whether this is a good or bad thing. Like most of us, the bulk of my cringe-worthy moments have come about through intoxication on drink or drugs. Now I’ve got to the point that I get somewhat red-faced if I wake up to find out that I haven’t made a complete tit of myself. It always seems a waste of a night out.
Of course, although it certainly helps, I don’t need drink and drugs to make an absolute prick of myself. Even sober, I’m the master of the faux pas. I blame this on the incredible arrogance of being so wrapped up in myself that I can’t be bothered to pay attention to what’s going on around me.
The article was printed in this weekend’s Guardian magazine. The story will also be included in 4th Estate‘s Mortification: Writers’ Stories Of Their Public Shame which is published next month.