Filling in for the lovely and talented Beth Trissel.
Most people have an occasional awkward moment. My college roommate was a smart, funny person, and she had a ginormous crush on this boy in her biology class. He was beautiful, with thick, wavy black hair and huge green eyes flecked with gold. They had been staring at each other for a couple of days when he came over to introduce himself. As he was walking away, she called out, “Thanks.”
He teased her about that for weeks after they began dating. For my roommate and I, “Thanks” became our go to phrase for any nerdy behavior either one of us exhibited for the duration of our friendship.
I was at one of those dreaded parties and I ended up, as though things go, standing with someone I didn’t know at all. We exchanged the requisite, “What do you do?” questions, and upon learning I was a librarian, he asked me what my favorite book was. I blanked out. I could not remember a single book I had ever read. Ever. Had I read a book? Could I read? I didn’t know. There was an awkward pause that lengthened, and then he smiled and drifted off.
I was seated next to my boss once at an awards dinner for the school district. She was an intimidating woman at the best of times and, although I didn’t dislike her, I would rather not have been sitting right next to her. I talk with my hands, and it was way too close quarters for that. You probably guessed what happened next. I knocked over her wine. I grabbed it before it broke and no wine actually got on her, but she even though she took it with good grace, I could tell she was annoyed and everyone teased me. I was mortified, but I laughed along and made some joke like, “And I haven’t even had any wine yet.”
That’s the key to awkward moments, I think. Keep your sense of humor and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.
And try not to attend those awful cocktail parties.
I'm not always socially awkward, but I am a lifelong clumsy person, so I can relate.
ReplyDeleteOh, dear. I'm clumsy, too. Mom calls it being "Event prone."
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