We exist. We try to lead good, thoughtful lives. And while we all try our best, we can't avoid the startling moments, or we make mistakes and experience little shocks and embarrassments--our lesser horrors--that make us wince and come back to haunt us again and again.

For Peter Smith--whose weekly essays for Minnesota Public Radio have endeared him to thousands of listeners and readers--these awkward times are not without their humor, and a healthy dose at that. We all know the circumstances and places the lesser horrors are likely to await--sibling rivalries, high school gym class,...