Awkward Moments, Or A Personal Reflection On A Common Problem

Hi, nice to meet you.

*Handshake*

So, um, do you like….um….How’s work?

*Internal panicking*

It’s good. What do you do?

*More internal panicking*

*Nervous laugh* Yea, I love coffee.

What?

I mean, work is great.

Oh. Alright then.

*Sweating profusely*

Uh, so it was good talking to you then. Thanks.

Yes, see you around.

Okay, bye. I love you.

Wait, did you just say ‘I love you?’

No.

*Jumps off a cliff to escape profound embarrassment*

If awkward moments looked like inspirational quotes...

Ahh. Awkward moments. We all have them, some of us more than others. Some of us a lot more than others. Perhaps I experience a lot of these moments, those tense feelings that arise whenever I have to interact with another human being. Even when you know someone, and have known them for a long time, there’s still room for a social blunder: a poor choice of words, the untimely stomach rumble, a too-long silence, accidental physical contact, a fundamental misunderstanding, or a diverging opinion that turns into a heated argument. They can all happen at any time, in any place.

When I was a kid I remember seeing a lot of those “Precious

Moments” keepsakes at the Hallmark store—they were cute figurines of adorable, big-eyed characters, often accompanied by a heart-warming sentiment. We all strive to find those sweet moments of happiness, the precious moments that fill you with hope and joy and make you excited to be alive. Unfortunately, it seems like the precious moments are few and far between. Sandwiched between are the awkward moments that make you cringe with embarrassment. At best it’s mild feeling of discomfort, and at worst it’s a physically painful sensation that leaves you wishing that a cartoon anvil would fall on your head to get you out of this jam.

Sometimes I experience what I call retroactive embarrassment, where something I said earlier in conversation seemed perfectly acceptable but when I go over the situation later I question it and I conclude that the innocuous thing I said is indeed stupid.

Then there’s the flashback embarrassment. Something embarrassing you said or did years ago comes to mind in stunning clarity. It usually happens when you’re struggling to fall asleep, and suddenly, you’re reliving that awkward moment and you burn with embarrassment all over again. It’s your brain opening up the photo album of your life and pointing at that picture saying, ‘look how dumb you look.’ Fun times.

But maybe awkward moments and embarrassment are just nature’s way of keeping you humble. Because if you thought everything you did and said was cool and brilliant, then maybe everyone’s egos would get in the way of cooperation and connection. If you thought you were the coolest, smartest, best all-around kid in school they’d be no reason to listen to someone else’s opinion or ideas. So maybe, just maybe, that twinge of social terror isn’t all bad. It’s just awkward.