On one family vacation, my dad forgot how old I was and enrolled me in the "Munchkin Tennis Clinic" for kids 8 years old and younger. I was 11. I was the best -- and tallest -- player there.
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In high school, I called my step-dad in tears because my car broke down in the middle of the highway.
Turns out my gas tank was empty.
Despite a lifetime string of embarrassing mishaps, I blush for another reason.
I'm one of 14 million Americans with rosacea, a chronic skin problem usually affecting the face.
The disorder -- pronounced row-zay-sha -- causes red blotches on the cheeks and nose. April is Rosacea Awareness Month.
The upside is I never have to buy blush. Considering I don't wear make-up, that's a pretty pitiful positive.
So far that's the only good part I can come up with.
I'm blessed with a lighter case of the disorder. About 1 in 3 rosacea patients suffer such bad breakouts, they've missed work, according to the National Rosacea Society.
More than 1 in 3 have avoided going out in public or have canceled plans.
Rosacea usually appears in people age 30 to 60. Apparently, I'm a rosacea over-achiever and have come out ahead of the pack.
Some common misconceptions are that rosacea is caused by drinking or bad hygiene.
Not true. Actually, scientists aren't sure what causes it. Maybe it's a genetic connection to Santa Claus.
There are famous folks who have been diagnosed with rosacea. My personal favorite: Bill Clinton. We're both from Arkansas.
For those of you who like to make Arkansas jokes, our pink cheeks are not from the moonshine. Others? Princess Diana, Rembrandt and W.C. Fields.
Hopefully my only resemblance to W.C. Fields is the pink cheeks.
For more information about rosacea, call (888) 662-5874 or visit www.rosacea.org.
