I read a friend’s blog that inspired an idea. Today we over use the word awkward. In fact we, and when I say we I mean me as well, make everything awkward.
- Running into someone at the grocery store and you’ve forgotten their name – we leave saying it’s awkward.
- Showing up to a party and not knowing very many people – we leave saying it’s awkward.
- Hanging out with people and there is silence in the conversation – we leave saying it’s awkward.
- Going to a movie by yourself – we never go because we would leave saying it’s awkward.
- Eating by yourself at a restaurant – we leave saying it’s awkward.
- A single who wants to ask another single out – will leave saying it’s awkward.
- When women talk about the birthing process to people who have never experienced it – we leave saying…wait…that is kind of awkward.
Here’s my thought, is it really that awkward? I kind of feel like we’ve invented this awkward feeling and placed it on things that are really not that awkward. It’s kind of like when a really skinny girl blurts out that she’s fat. She’s not really fat but for some reason she has invented a distorted thought in her mind. Awkwardness can be like that. We make situations that much more awkward because of our distorted reality.
Here are some situations that would actually be awkward…
- Farting out loud in the middle of an important meeting at work – that’s awkward.
- Having an ex boyfriend/girlfriend run up and kiss you in front of your spouse/new boyfriend or girlfriend – that’s awkward.
- Giving a public speech and having your pants rip in a way that exposes your undergarments – that’s awkward.
- Breastfeeding your baby in the hospital only to find out that you just fed someone else’s baby (this happened on the TV show The Office) – that’s awkward.
- Smacking a women on the butt because you think it’s your spouse only to see her turn around and show you that she’s a complete stranger – that’s awkward.
- Seeing your parents make out passionately- that’s awkward.
- Having to tell someone that you killed their dog because he drank a bottle of anti-freeze that you left out – that’s awkward.
Now most of the situations above are from real life. They are awkward moments that I have experienced. Either because it happened to me or to someone I know.
The point is let’s do away with the feeling of awkward when it’s really not that awkward. We can make things worse when we declare that they are awkward. Instead just cowboy or cowgirl up and get through it. Don’t let the distorted reality of a potentially awkward situation lead you to make the situation worse.
So what is an awkward moment that you have experienced?
Interesting thought today. I kind of see your point. I wish I had some moment to share like the time I killed that guy because I thought he was the one who cut me off in traffic or the time I was mistakenly elected president of Ecuador, but nothing is coming to mind.
Awkward moments are the human foibles that create humor. Maybe not at the moment, but they are life happening and the stuff sitcoms seize to make us laugh. I guess getting one's feet tangled on a treadmill, falling down, helplessly sprawled out until dumped on the floor by the motion of the machine might count as awkward.
I was pulling into a quik shop from the middle lane and was signaling for someone in a red car to pull out first. After all she was waiting before I got there. I motioned and waited and waited. So I pulled in. She was looking down (texting?). I waved (she looked up as i went by) and saw that it was the daughter of the lady who had taken money that was not hers. (I prefer not to make details public). That was awkward.
Ecuador huh? Are you still president there? I don't watch the news.
That is kind of awkward. Did you pull a citizens arrest?
Mim, that was awkward and you handled it like a champ!
See, I'm one of those people that feels your first list of awkward things (that you actually didn't think were very awkward) are SUPER awkward. I HATE awkward moments and try to avoid them at all costs!! Unfortunately, I have word vomit and am often the creator of awkward moments 😛 haha
In college, we were at a friends house… jumping on a trampoline. To this day, not sure how it happened, but somehow my shorts got caught on something and ripped off. There I was, standing on the trampoline, in my boxers.
Awkward.
That's what I'm talking about. That is awkward. Thanks for stopping by.
I hear ya. I was too but I've gotten a lot better at it. It's possible when you change your mindset.
One time I was sitting in my car outside the hospital where my wife works, waiting to pick her up after her shift.
And older lady walked straight to the car and got in. She pulling on her seatbelt when I said, "Howdy!"
She screeched and clawed at the window for a second before remembering the door handle. She scrambled out of the car and shut the door.
Then she opened the door again and glared at me for a second.
"You're in the wrong car!", she scolded at me and shut the door.
I laughed for twenty minutes about that one, but I think she would have described that situation as 'awkward'!
Ricky, that is ha-larious.
I think some of our awkwardness come from our society as a whole losing the art of up front, personal, face to face communication. We simply don't have the tools or in some cases manners to deal with those situations.
Rob, I LOVE going to the movies by myself. I used to think it was awkward but now I see it as 2 hours of peace (meaning no 9 year old chatter). You don't talk to the person you're with anyway which is why it makes for a bad date.
Top 2 awkward moments: While prom dress shopping, I fell UP the down escalator in the middle of the mall. My friend and I were shopping with Jamey, Danny and her date and they lost us (no really, they took off. I'm sure you can picture that!) and when we finally found them, we were headed downstairs but they were upstairs. We turned quickly and being the graceful being that I am, I fell. It was awesome…well, maybe not. Epic.
The trash shoots in Curry are super scary and the lights always burned out in the room. The proper way to throw trash away was to run in and dump it down the shoot before the door shut so you wouldn't be in the dark. We were showing my friend's boyfriend, who was very cute and went to YALE, how it's done and I fell FLAT ON MY FACE, half in and half out of the trash shoot room. See, I'm graceful.
What do you say after that? How do you play that off? No, it's embarrassing and awkward.
I LOVE going out for lunch (or even dinner) by myself. It makes me feel confident.
Awkward. I once asked a woman when she was due and she wasn't pregnant. To give this some back story, I was volunteering at a twin clothing sale. And I was cashier at the line for pregnant women and parents with newborns. And she had no babies with her. But I still felt highly embarrassed and even ashamed. Sigh.
Time to take myself out for lunch.
Walking into a crowded restaurant, I once stepped on a man's foot who was walking toward me. As I turned to him to say "excuse me" I see him hopping up and down trying to catch his balance as I had managed to separate him from his artificial leg. There was his leg on the ground. Do I pick it up? Do I keep walking? Awkward!
The last time I wore a short-sleeved shirt and a tie I felt really awkward. And vowed never to do it again.
What's awkward in my life? I clearly remember this time in high school when I was a high school student. Yeah, that.
As a parent there are countless "awkward" moments. Like at the gym, there is a lady with really short hair who cleans, and Merrick very loudly asked me as we were walking by her, "Mom, what's HE doing?". Awkward. 🙂
That is awkward.
High school? What about middle school?
That's really funny.
No way! That is a great story!
I am thankful that I have never done that…yet.
I like going to the movies by myself. That was one of the things that inspired this post. At the office people were saying how awkward it is and I was like it's not awkward!
Tonya, great point!
In High School my friend David and I were talking to our mutual friend Sarah and wishing her a happy bday. My friend Scott walked over and upon hearing hearing that it was sarah's bday hugged her(yet he did not know her). We discussed whether this was awkward or not and I firmly stated that i did not feel it was awkward. David said, "you dont just go up to random people in the hall and hug them do you?" to which i responded yes and immediately hugged a random girl in the hall and whispered "hey baby" in her ear…..
all that to say I'm pretty sure she thought that was super awkward
Michael, that was a wee bit awkward. Funny though.
Thanks for the shout out, Rob. I've decided to stop using the word all together, or at least think about it before I say it… Words like "uncomfortable" are less trendy but sometimes speak more clearly to those uncomfortable situations! Nice post though, I love the contrast!
wow and another wow!!!