Just Another Embarrassing Moment...
I embarrass myself on a regular basis. This has been the case since I was a small child-possibly since I had the ability to speak! I live with my foot in my mouth! This has been true regardless of my location. Some of the highlights?
11 years old, USA: I was playing outside while visiting a family friend that had moved to a new town. I see a 'scary' man approaching us (a large group of children). I immediately take action to alert the group to the oncoming predator! "Come on you guys! Let's go in the house! A scary man is coming!" You can imagine my surprise when nobody budged and one girl burst into tears. I assumed they were all frozen with fright and she was scared to tears until my friend informed me in an awkward hushed whisper, "that's her dad!" OOPS! I ran for the house and stayed in for hours!
29 years old, Daegu, South Korea: I went to visit my first temple with three of my new students. I had just started teaching Writing at a University. I was anxious to explore and thrilled to have students as my guides! I was so impressed with the colors and opulence of the temple. I was like a National Geographic Photographer on location. I snapped picture after picture of every square inch of the temple. We took off our shoes to enter and grabbed mats for the floor. The students showed me the way they prayed and explained the significance. As we were about to leave I quickly went flat on my back on the mat looking up at the ceiling to take a few pictures. It was covered completely in paper lotus lanterns and was visually interesting. When I pulled the camera back from my eyes I could see that the students were uncomfortable. I got up immediately. They ushered me out, but would not tell me what was wrong. Later that day while reading a book about Korea I learned that women do not lie on their backs in public because it is considered to have a sexual connotation! And I had done it in a temple! OOPS!
32 years old, Antigua Guatemala: While having some dental work done, I swallowed constantly. I can't help it. I had to have a route canal in Korea and the dentist lectured me constantly that he was going to drill a hole in my tongue if I did not stop swallowing. This did not make me stop swallowing of course, but made me apologize for it constantly. I am scared to death of dentists you see! I did not get the crown in Korea, so I decided to do so in Guatemala. While the dentist drilled I swallowed and apologized and swallowed and apologized. It was obvious that I was very nervous. He stopped what he was doing and very nicely informed me that he can control my tongue and there is no danger of me getting a drill in the tongue. He then said, attempting to be funny, "You do not have to apologize. It is just who you are." In my normal sarcastic manner, with out thinking, I replied, "Oh yeah! That is who I am. I am a swallower!" Then I felt the heat in my face as I realized what I had said. He politely tried to repress his laughter while I died of mortification!
This brings me to today. It was not as bad as many and although these are excellent examples, it does not come close to covering all the moments! I have friends that live for these stories, and enjoy hearing them regularly, which works out as they take place quite regularly!
I work with teens on a teen newspaper. Today they were interviewing a celebrity. Not just any celebrity, a celebrity that I admire quite a bit for his ability, and yes I think he is HOT! He is also a HUGE celebrity. We will simply call him Mr. X. They were interviewing him in a teen press conference via conference call. We got together with a speaker phone for the interview. We had been together deciding on questions etc... before the interview was to begin. I was not supposed to have to say a single word. I am not a teen. It was their show! When we dialed in they asked for my name and I gave it to them. I informed her that I had three teen reporters with me and she said I would have to introduce them when Mr. X came on the line. So, the time came and he was on the line and I heard his voice and all of a sudden it was my turn and I said my name and the name of our publication and that I had three teen reporters. When I went to introduce them, I blanked on the first student's last name! Then he whispered it to me and I still tripped over my tongue and pronounced it wrong. I was so embarrassed! In that moment I was painfully aware that I had embarrassed myself on the phone with Mr. X. Now that it is over and he has no idea who I am and probably did not notice or will not remember if he did, I am more embarrassed that it happened in front of the students. They had a blast making fun of me when the interview was over! I just kept telling them, "I was not supposed to have to talk!" They knew though. They knew it was because I was nervous knowing he was on the line!
You would think that I would become somehow immune to humiliation, but I can honestly say that each sting is as bad as the last. Luckily, I am a person that can laugh at myself, well after the moment has passed that is! There will be more embarrassing moments to come. That much I know!
11 years old, USA: I was playing outside while visiting a family friend that had moved to a new town. I see a 'scary' man approaching us (a large group of children). I immediately take action to alert the group to the oncoming predator! "Come on you guys! Let's go in the house! A scary man is coming!" You can imagine my surprise when nobody budged and one girl burst into tears. I assumed they were all frozen with fright and she was scared to tears until my friend informed me in an awkward hushed whisper, "that's her dad!" OOPS! I ran for the house and stayed in for hours!
29 years old, Daegu, South Korea: I went to visit my first temple with three of my new students. I had just started teaching Writing at a University. I was anxious to explore and thrilled to have students as my guides! I was so impressed with the colors and opulence of the temple. I was like a National Geographic Photographer on location. I snapped picture after picture of every square inch of the temple. We took off our shoes to enter and grabbed mats for the floor. The students showed me the way they prayed and explained the significance. As we were about to leave I quickly went flat on my back on the mat looking up at the ceiling to take a few pictures. It was covered completely in paper lotus lanterns and was visually interesting. When I pulled the camera back from my eyes I could see that the students were uncomfortable. I got up immediately. They ushered me out, but would not tell me what was wrong. Later that day while reading a book about Korea I learned that women do not lie on their backs in public because it is considered to have a sexual connotation! And I had done it in a temple! OOPS!
32 years old, Antigua Guatemala: While having some dental work done, I swallowed constantly. I can't help it. I had to have a route canal in Korea and the dentist lectured me constantly that he was going to drill a hole in my tongue if I did not stop swallowing. This did not make me stop swallowing of course, but made me apologize for it constantly. I am scared to death of dentists you see! I did not get the crown in Korea, so I decided to do so in Guatemala. While the dentist drilled I swallowed and apologized and swallowed and apologized. It was obvious that I was very nervous. He stopped what he was doing and very nicely informed me that he can control my tongue and there is no danger of me getting a drill in the tongue. He then said, attempting to be funny, "You do not have to apologize. It is just who you are." In my normal sarcastic manner, with out thinking, I replied, "Oh yeah! That is who I am. I am a swallower!" Then I felt the heat in my face as I realized what I had said. He politely tried to repress his laughter while I died of mortification!
This brings me to today. It was not as bad as many and although these are excellent examples, it does not come close to covering all the moments! I have friends that live for these stories, and enjoy hearing them regularly, which works out as they take place quite regularly!
I work with teens on a teen newspaper. Today they were interviewing a celebrity. Not just any celebrity, a celebrity that I admire quite a bit for his ability, and yes I think he is HOT! He is also a HUGE celebrity. We will simply call him Mr. X. They were interviewing him in a teen press conference via conference call. We got together with a speaker phone for the interview. We had been together deciding on questions etc... before the interview was to begin. I was not supposed to have to say a single word. I am not a teen. It was their show! When we dialed in they asked for my name and I gave it to them. I informed her that I had three teen reporters with me and she said I would have to introduce them when Mr. X came on the line. So, the time came and he was on the line and I heard his voice and all of a sudden it was my turn and I said my name and the name of our publication and that I had three teen reporters. When I went to introduce them, I blanked on the first student's last name! Then he whispered it to me and I still tripped over my tongue and pronounced it wrong. I was so embarrassed! In that moment I was painfully aware that I had embarrassed myself on the phone with Mr. X. Now that it is over and he has no idea who I am and probably did not notice or will not remember if he did, I am more embarrassed that it happened in front of the students. They had a blast making fun of me when the interview was over! I just kept telling them, "I was not supposed to have to talk!" They knew though. They knew it was because I was nervous knowing he was on the line!
You would think that I would become somehow immune to humiliation, but I can honestly say that each sting is as bad as the last. Luckily, I am a person that can laugh at myself, well after the moment has passed that is! There will be more embarrassing moments to come. That much I know!
posted by Unknown | 7:32 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home