Imagine heading home after dinner with friends. You remember one thing you said. Perhaps you talked too much; perhaps that joke was unnecessary. There were good moments, too, but the few awkward seconds keep replaying in your mind.<\/p>\n
This too shall pass.<\/p>Tom Hanks \u2014 from his remarks in the Actor Roundtable<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n
What he wished his younger self had known<\/h2>\n
During The Hollywood Reporter\u2019s Actor Roundtable, the participants were asked what advice they would give their younger selves. Tom Hanks said he wished he had known today\u2019s phrase, then repeated the short sentence while speaking about feeling bad or angry.<\/p>\n
This is a remark attributed to Hanks in the published discussion, not dialogue spoken by one of his film characters. It does not mean that he originated the expression.<\/p>\n
The published exchange goes on to include another actor\u2019s comment about stretching and Hanks\u2019s own mention of flossing. Beside the large questions of a life sit the practical matters of looking after a back or a set of teeth. There is something gently disarming about that company.<\/p>\n
A few awkward seconds, and the rest of the night<\/h2>\n
What follows is this article\u2019s reflection.<\/p>\n
One remark can seem unusually large on the way home. Even your reflection in the train window appears to have something to say. Perhaps it is simply the face of someone who is tired.<\/p>\n
We should not turn today\u2019s phrase into a promise that every problem will resolve without action. If you hurt someone, an apology may be needed. But responding to what happened is different from deciding that the embarrassment will always feel exactly this intense.<\/p>\n
At home, you can take off your shoes and have a glass of water. There are still other small things left in the evening. A few clumsy seconds do not have to provide the whole account of the dinner\u2014or of you.<\/p>\n
No final verdict on the train<\/h2>\n
Hanks\u2019s short sentence does not demand instant cheerfulness. At least, that is how this article chooses to receive it.<\/p>\n
Tonight may still feel awkward. The train can reach the next station all the same. A sweeping verdict about yourself can wait a little longer.<\/p>\n
Source and translation note<\/h2>\n