How long can women remember your mistakes?

Why is it one small mistake can take so long to let go? I didn’t do anything so bad, I wasn’t unfaithful or cruel. I didn’t hurt anyone or steal anything. Yet months later I’m still getting reminded about what a git I am. What did I do? What heinous crime did I commit? I missed a train that’s what!

Well ok there was a smidge more to it than just missing a train but that’s the general gist of it.

The night out was known about in advance, my pass was triple stamped and approved – I was OK to go out and have a few beers after work at the highly attended leaving do of one of our long term bosses. Of course I would catch the last train home – no worries.

Mistake number 1: I let my mobile battery drain out without realising it making me unreachable.

The night went well, I knew I was ok being out and didn’t see the point in phoning for the sake of it so failed to realise my phone was flat. Quite a lot of beer was drunk and so I gradually lost control of common sense.

Mistake number 2: I joined in the rounds of Bushmills.

I’m not a whiskey drinker at all and never ever drink it. Apparently on this night however I decided to give it a whirl.

Mistake number 3: I left the pub in central London (I have learned), just as the last train was leaving Paddington.

Not realising that I had already missed the train I set off home after being re pointed towards the station by a friend.

Mistake number 4: I clearly remember seeing no alternative whatsoever than to sleep at the station once I realised the train had gone.

Here is the sticking point; this is where things started going bad. Since this night I have either thought for myself, or been told, a million different options that were available to me that night. I could have got a local hotel. I could have got a bus back to the office and slept there. There are countless other alternatives. However at the time I remember thinking – ‘there’s only one thing you can do Glen, go and lie down on that corner of floor and sleep’. It made perfect sense, what could go wrong; I’d get the first train home in the morning, shower, take the boys to school and then return back to London. The plan was perfect.

Mistake number 5: It didn’t occur to me to tell Jo what my master plan was.

I think this may be the critical point in why it’s taking so long to get out of this one. Jo was woken at 2 by our little one and realised instantly that I should be home. This was the point where she started phoning my dead phone asking where I was. Message after message went unanswered as she began to imagine all sorts of different fates that could have befell me. Meanwhile I was sleeping like a baby.

When I walked in at 6 it was to the fury of Hurricane Katrina. She had no care whatsoever for how tough a night I’d had, how difficult a journey home I’d had or especially that I was fancying a quick cuddle before the boys woke up. I stood and listened to the endless monologue of hatred that was thrown at me for a while then went in the shower. I wordlessly got dressed, dropped the boys off and went back to work. Why Can’t Jo see that all I did was fall asleep and not phone. That’s it, nothing more. Funnily enough when you are drunk enough to think sleeping on the floor at Paddington Station is a good idea you aren’t necessarily thinking at your most thoughtful.

I do of course accept that I was wrong on this one and agree 100% with the reasons. Undoubtedly I would not accept such behaviour from my wife. However surely I’ve served my time now? Surely it’s time to move it on? Only this very weekend I was reminded of it again.

What is the statute of limitations on something like this? Can anyone help me and let me know when I can expect this to be forgiven? Answers on a comment please!