Stop and think for a moment about the most embarrassing experience of your life. Whether it was big or small, public or private, it probably had a lasting impact on you. Otherwise, you’d have forgotten about it.

Maybe you had an accident at school when you were little and all the other kids made fun of you. Perhaps a teacher mocked you in class. Or you might’ve made a fool of yourself in front of your crush. No matter what it was, you’re likely to replay that moment in your head for years to come.

But don’t worry about it too much. They say that when enough time goes by, you’ll learn to laugh at the old embarrassments. Whether that’s true or not depends on a lot of things. That cute girl who saw your underwear in sixth grade probably doesn’t even remember it. But you still do.

Even more embarrassing are those moments when, whether your fault or by sheer accident, you get caught doing something you can’t explain away. Like it or not, they happen to all of us. The only thing we can do is share our awkward experiences so we can laugh (and cry) about them together.