Awkward Moments
 

We went to see Independence Day at Imax Cinema. We sat up top in the back and my husband left for several minutes. A couple came and sat next to us while he was gone. When he returned and saw the people sitting next to us, he wanted to move a few seats away. He started to get our things and realized that he had taken the woman's soda, thinking it was mine. He apologized to her and I could tell he was embarrassed. I told him, hey, I can top that! My daughter and I were shopping at a mall and when we were finished we went to the parking lot to find our car. My daughter reached it first and got in. Then I got in the drivers seat. We both looked at each other and realized this wasn't our car, but its doppelganger.

Years ago, when I first started driving, I decided to visit my friends in a town I wasn't familiar with. I realized I was lost, so I stopped to ask someone for directions. Being a new driver, I was sort of flustered that I didn't know where I was. I was trying to follow the man's directions, but I got confused. So I drove around for a few minutes looking for someone else who I could get directions from when I again saw someone in their front yard. I pulled up and rolled my window down to speak. I looked at him. He looked at me with a grin on his face and I quickly drove away. It was the same man...

I hope some of you will share your awkward stories.

One really hot night, we went to a dance and my husband went out to get the car. When I saw the car drive up I hopped in, hiked my skirt way up to my mid thigh and started fanning it out, to get some cool air moving because I was melting from the heat.
You can imagine my dismay when I looked over and saw not my husband sitting there, but some strange man staring at me like I'd lost my mind.
OOPS.
"It's a hot one, isn't it?" I said.
"Sure is."
When I went to reach for the handle, his wife was just opening the car door and the look on her face could have struck me dead.
"My mistake." I told her as got out.
"Good luck." I said to the driver.


Watson

I almost got into "our" car in a grocery parking lot once and there was a strange man driving instead of my husband!

After he passed, I caught myself a few times coming out of the grocery store and heading to the passenger's side. File that under "sad moments".

Sewingsew, you're not the only one who is directionally challenged! Especially being a young/new driver at the time!

Oh, Watson! That's funny!

In the mid 70's, when I was ~5 years old we took one of our many trips to Canada. Us kids (5, 6 & 8) didn't want to shop anymore. Mom said we could wait in the car on the main drag outside the shop. Little did we know that when mom & dad came out a while later, we had been waiting in the wrong car! We thought it odd, that all our toys had been cleaned up, but didn't think it was the wrong car! Thank goodness the owners of THAT car didn't come out to find us inside!

I've got the story to top them all.

I must have been 4 or 5 years old. My mom did some in-home daycare during the summer for a few of our neighbors who worked, and she had piled all of us into the van and taken us to the grocery store. This was back in the day when you could leave the kids unattended. There were probably 5 or 6 of us in the van while she went in and shopped. Anyway, we decided to "play doctor" while she was gone. Imagine the look on the courtesy clerk's face when he and my mom opened the doors to load the cart full of groceries, and got an eyeful of naked kids! She NEVER went back to that grocery store.

I still tease her about that one, just to see her get flustered. :D

My DH isn't much of a hand holder and he has a bad habit of walking away from me. Before we had cell phones I'd put my hand is his back pocket, grab his belt or the back of his shirt to keep up with him. We were at the state fair one year and it was very crowded. I saw him a couple of steps ahead of me so I took a couple of fast steps and stuck my hand in his back pocket. The man who had my hand in his pocket and his wife turned and gave me a quizzical look. I apologized profusely and explained that I thought he was my husband who always manages to get away from me. They both laughed and I slunk away with a very red face. My DH was a couple of steps behind me and laughing like crazy.

I was probably 4 years old, maybe 5, when I was out shopping with my father. He stopped on the sidewalk to gab with someone he knew, and I wandered off a little ways. I guess I got scared, because I suddenly turned and rushed back and wrapped my arms around my father's legs - or at least I intended to. Something wasn't quite right, as I looked up and saw the other man, not my father. I still remember how mortified I was, and that was at least 65 years ago. Why do we remember the embarrassing moments so well?

I am really getting a kick out of reading these. Watson, I think yours wins first place for making me laugh the most. I have a few more to add.

A couple of weeks ago, I left the house with two different shoes on. It was only after I came home that I realized what I had done.

When I was 14, my cousin and I were riding her bicycle. I was sitting on the handle-bars while she drove. We were going down a steep hill on a sidewalk. Suddenly a screw in the handlebars loosened and I went face first on the sidewalk. I cushioned her fall, but I chipped my front tooth. I had a temporary cap put on until the permanent one could be made. One day in chemistry class, the glue that bonded it to my tooth came loose while I was talking. It bounced off the cheek of my big crush and landed on the floor by the Bunsen burner. Prince Charming went under the table and picked it up and then handed it to me.

Another time when I was about 16, my sister and I went to a sleepover at a friend's house. In Virginia it was wicked hot in the summer, and we didn't have air-conditioning in our upstairs, so at night sometimes I would start with a nightgown on but wake up with it off. Anyhow, at our friend's house there was no air-conditioning. You know where this is going don't you? My sister and I slept in the bed with our friend. I woke up with my underwear missing. My sister found them for me before our friend found out, but boy was I sweating that one!

Oh these are great!!!!

My most embarrassing moment (and it takes A LOT to embarrass me) was when I was 18 years old. My mom and I were shopping at the big new mall downtown. I was wearing a half top, long cotton skirt with loads of fabric, and skimpy undies (like really skimpy!)

As we were going down the escalator my mom and I were chatting, and the next thing I knew as we neared the last step my skirt went with the stair into the escalator - ripped it right down to my ankles and stopped the escalator ... RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOOD COURT!!!!

I turned about 8 shades of red and walked into the closest store to the change rooms.

My mom? She was about 5 minutes behind me because she couldn't catch her breath from laughing so hard.

I am just so happy that when I was 18 cell phones did not exist, because if they had, I could probably send you the link on youtube!

20 years ago we sold our "old" house. 6 months later after working a very long shift, I drove home. Opened the door and went right in....imagine the look on the faces of the people who bought our old house! I made a quick exit....hopefully they changed the locks after that episode!!

I was teaching a class in our new school with packing cases still in the room. The children were 8 and 9. I went and sat on a box and disappeared inside. The children recaptured the incident when they did their end of year play, as the funniest thing to happen.

I know I have had my share of "moments". One that comes to mind is rushing out the door to go to church when my daughter was 3 YO and insisted on dressing herself. Once we were settled in the pew I turned back to see what she was doing and lo and behold she was flashing the nuns that were sitting in the next pew behind us with no underwear on!

Hubby and I were in a store in a nearby town which had a pop machine. I was thirsty so I walked up to what I thought was my husband, who was intently looking at something on the counter. He didn't look up when I stood beside him, so I lightly punched him on the arm and said, "Give me 50 cents for a pop.". He looked at me then, but it wasn't my hubby! He was dressed identically to my hubby, same haircut and beard! A woman (I assume his wife) came flying over to see what was going on. I stammered an apology, found my hubby and told him we had to leave immediately. That was years ago but almost every time we pass the store, hubby asks if I want to go in and find someone to buy me a pop.

These are great!

Watson, your story had me laughing out loud, but Marion's almost made me wet myself. Have you ever been on an escalator again??!

I was on my first cruise and lounging by the pool while my husband went to get drinks. A few minutes later I felt hands on my eyes and heard "guess who"? I turned around and it was a stranger who thought I was his wife. My husband was behind him and said to the man "great line". We all had a good laugh until I saw his wife....then I was highly insulted...LOL

I did the same thing, I was half way in the car when my friend yelled out, "that's NOT my car"! I quickly got into hers and hope that the owner of the owner of the other car wasn't looking. When I use to drive, I always locked my car.

This didn't happen to me but to my daughter. When my GS was about 5 years old we went to a pizza restaurant for lunch. The place was crowded and the waitresses were busy. My GS wanted some more iced tea and was getting impatient when he finally stood up on the seat and called out to the waitress "more tea, please". My daughter was mortified and I couldn't stop laughing. The whole restaurant thought it was funny but not my daughter. I still tease here about that and my GS is now 31 y/o.

I taught school for many years. One year, on my birthday, some friends took me out for a drink after school to celebrate. I had not drunk alcohol in my younger days, but had learned to enjoy a MILD drink on occasion. Anyway, after having drunk part of my drink, I opened birthday cards. When one card fell on the floor, I leaned over to pick it up, slid out of my chair, and couldn't get up.
Of course most of the faculty knew about this the next day. So, when some of us went out to eat before a PTA meeting, two of my friends sat on each side of me and tied me in my seat with a jump rope!

Back in the late 60's, when cars had one key to open the door and another key for the ignition: the town I lived in had cop cars that were all white with no insignia, only the city & police printed on the trunk. I came out of a Denny's and stuck my key in the car door, opened and started to slide in when I noticed a shotgun strapped to the inside center. Big gulp, sneaky look-around, saw no cops (but had seen them at lunch), softly got out of the car, closed and locked the door and found MY car, about 3 cars farther down.

Ha, ha, ha, ha....thanks, ladies.

The one that is most vivid is when I was in my last trimester with my oldest son. My clothes were getting to the point of "no more stretch". I had gone grocery shopping and it was cold enough my coat was to that point also but I kept it buttoned to just below my belly button. A friend of my husband's came over for supper. He and husband took groceries out of my arms. My lower button popped off and went flying, then my pants and underwear dropped to the floor. As I bent down to pick up my pants, I lost my balance and rolled to the side. No one said anything to me just moved quickly to help me up at that time. Then his friend says; "Geez, I have never seen a belly that big except on the old drunks at the bar! At least there's hope for hers! It'll be gone in a couple weeks, right??"

Got one for you. While living in Orlando, FL I would go to one of our sewing gal's house from time to time. She lives in an area of new homes where they all seem to look alike except maybe the color of the exterior or the door would be a different color. Well, it had been awhile and I brought one of the other sewing buddies with me this time. I had called the gal we were going to visit to let her know we were on our way. She told us to just come on in as she'd leave the front door unlocked for us. So once I got to her block I got confused and couldn't remember what her door color was. I thought it was this color, then that color and so forth. Thought I had the right house so we pulled into the drive, got out and tried the front door. It was locked so I thought, clever me..........hint, hint, let's just go thru the screened in pool area as I knew the patio door would be unlocked. Well, we got inside and saw this strange lady in the kitchen. It then dawned on me we had the wrong house. We backed out apologing as we left, got back into our car and drove off. I decided then to call our friend and find out what the house numbers were. I'd been only 3 houses off so drove down to the correct house, parked in the drive and went in. Correct house this time. I'd forgotten something in the car so went out to retrieve it when I looked down the block to see cop cars in front of the house we've been to before. As I worked for the city police dept. thought it only honest to go down and explain what happened and prayed they wouldn't cart me off for breaking and entering............well just entering but in Orlando going into someone's home uninvited is basically a crime. I showed them my badge as I worked as a CSI tech and I got off with a warning to be sure next time whose houe I'm walking into. Boy, was that close. Now I can laugh about it but at the time it wasn't funny for anyone. I felt so sorry for the gal we scared half to death when we walked into her house. Orlando is full of crime even in the daylight so I'm sure she was thinking she'd get robbed or worse.

Now I live in a small town in Iowa where everyone knows everyone, waves even if they don't know you. You can leave your house unlocked as well as your car in a parking lot. Neighbors keep an eye on you and your house when you're gone. So much friendlier than in Orlando where you don't even look their way when you pass by them. Sorry Orlando but its true.

I also have a mistaken car story. I was spending the day doing errands so had stopped to get a soda to drink while in the car. I came out of the grocery store, opened the drivers' side of the car and climbed in. I had the seat belt on and and was having a problem with my key in the ignition when I looked in the cup holder and there wasn't a cup in it. Then I took a good look around and realized that none of the stuff I left on the passenger seat was there. I realized my mistake and quickly unbelted myself and was climbing out of the car when the actual owner arrived.....and he was annoyed, probably thinking I was trying to steal his car. All I could stammer out was that my car was in the slot next to his in the parking lot....same make, model and color...first 3 letters on the license plate were the same and......oh yes, and by the way, my key opened the lock to his door. He saw what I was talking about, made me show him how my key worked in his lock, tested his key in my lock (it didn't work), told me he was driving to the car dealership immediately to have his locks changed....and he quickly drove away.

I guess a lot of us have had the "wrong car" experience...especially since there are so many of the same models on the road. Once when at the local ball park for one of my son's baseball games, my daughter and I decided we'd go pop over to the nearby store to get some snacks for everybody. It was a friendly community where all the families at the ball park felt safe and we often didn't lock our car and left the windows down because of the heat. We got to the car and both hopped in... then started to notice the unfamiliar things in it... including a woman's purse! DD and I both realized we were in the wrong car at exactly the same moment and looked at each other, wordless, and screamed, "AHHHHHH!" just like Kevin in Home Alone. We couldn't get out of that car fast enough! Our car was parked right beside it, an exact twin. Lucklily the owner was watching the ball game and never knew.

And by the way... what a dummy to leave her purse in an unlocked car!

Thank you all for the belly laughs.

I got married at my sister's house. The day of the wedding one of her friends was answering the door for the guests and, of course, did not know many of my or my husband's friends. She told us later that a lady came in with 2 small children, very nicely dressed, and she greeted them and asked her to sign the guest book. She remembered the lady looking at her oddly when she did this. After the lady signed the book, the friend asked her if she was there for Janie or Bruce and the lady asked, "Who are they?" "The bride and groom, of course." "Oh, my heavens," the lady said, "I thought this was my friend's baby shower!" whereupon she turned and quickly exited with her children. We all had a wonderful laugh about it after the ceremony and many told their own stories of mistaken cars and/or houses.

I left work one day in California for a doctor's appointment. I walked across my employer's large parking lot to my vehicle, drove to the medical clinic and walked across it's huge parking lot, into the lobby, up the elevator and down a ways on that floor to the sign-in counter. I was waiting in that line when the lady behind me tapped me on the shoulder to say I might want to check the back of my dress. WELL, before I left work I had made a powder room stop and the entire back of my dress was totally stuffed inside my pantyhose, exposing my entire back side...not a pretty sight! To think of all those distances I walked and those who may have seen. Needless to say, from then on I keep checking and double checking the back of dresses that I wear. ;-)

Lol. Yup. But very carefully!!

Everyone's story is very funny. I've enjoyed reading them and laughing.
Sue

I went to a job interview at a big office building wearing a nice skirt and blouce. As I'm leaving, walking across a big lobby I notice its getting harder and harder to walk. I realized my slip was falling down! By the time I got to the doors it was at my ankles. I waddled to my car as fast as I could and slipped it off my feet in the car. I was wondering what people were staring at!

Many years ago, my first husband and I lived in Culver City, CA, which at the time was home to several movie studios. One day we stopped at one of the first Trader Joe's in the area, walked in and split up -- I was supposed to get the snacks, he was supposed to get the drinks. After I had the snacks I walked over to the drink cases, and saw what I thought was my husband, contemplating his choices, so I stuck my hand in his back jeans pocket, gave him a nice little squeeze, and asked what the hold-up was. No answer was forthcoming, so I glanced up -- into the face of Tom Selleck, wearing a blue denim shirt identical to the one my husband was wearing (he showed up a couple minutes later.) Of course I wanted to melt into a puddle on the floor but Mr. Selleck just laughed and said it was a natural mistake to have made ...

Oh lucky you to have tweaked Tom Selleck's booty! LOL

My thoughts exactly! I would've said, "Sorry not sorry. But if you were offended, and you want to get even..." (then I'd turn around and offer him mine).

It was the late 70's. Disco was all the rage. Sparkly clothes were in style, and everybody who knows me knows that I like sparkly things. I bought myself a skin-tight sparkly shirt, and a pair of platform shoes and I was ready to boogie. I was 18 and living in Germany. I was of a legal age to drink over there. So a group of my friends and I decided to go to a discoteque. Of course I wore my sparkly shirt. It was made out of some sort of stretchy polyester mesh material. Like a pair of panty-hose, it was tiny before I put it on, and then stretched to fit me. So we get to the disco, have a couple of drinks, and some hot guy comes over and asks me to dance. One of those mirrored disco balls was spinning overhead, so sparkly colored lights are dancing around the room. I start dancing. I notice that my partner is looking at me with a big grin on his face. I'm thinking, "This guy is really into me." Black lights are on, strobe lights are flashing. People seem to be looking at me and pointing. Apparently I'm a better dancer than I had previously thought. I'd had a couple of drinks and I was feeling bold, so I kicked my dance moves into high gear (think John Travolta). My partner kept trying to talk to me, but the music was so loud I couldn't hear him. The music ended and I went back to my friends, who were pointing at me and laughing as I headed back to my table. Turns out I'd made an unwise choice in wearing a white bra with my black and silver sparkly shirt, and when the black light was shining on me, it looked like I was dancing in my bra.

A few years ago my then 11-year old son was invited to a birthday party at a fun center type place (laser tag, trampolines, arcade, etc) where plenty of parents were supervising. I knew a lot of the parents from our small school, so didn't feel compelled to stay.

My husband had dropped us off since there were no close parking spaces. He said he'd circle around if he needed to.

"Keep the heat on, whatever you do," I said, bundling my coat tighter around myself.


I hurried in to the party place with my son. Chatted up with moms about pickup time, greeted the birthday boy, and then left, excited for a rare dinner date with just my man. I love to flirt with him still in midlife!

When I came out, the wind was really whipping up cold in my face, so I kept my head down. I picked my way down the steps and toward the parking lot. Didn't see our vehicle where it had been. Looked up and saw a familiar vehicle circling toward me. Put my head back down and wished for a scarf.

The guy pulled up, leaned over and opened the door for me.

I hopped in , head still down, straightened my windblown hair, and as I dropped my purse at my feet, said, "Whew!!! Brrr! It's cold. But hey, Babe ! I'm all yours now. Are you hungry for dinner, or do you just want to go parking like old times?"

That's. When. I. looked.over.

"Woops! Sorry! You're not my husband!"

I grabbed my purse and hopped out quicker than I'd hopped in!

My husband was waiting in OUR same kind of vehicle right behind him.

Yeah.... SUUUUUUUUURE. You totally didn't know that wasn't your husband... :D:D:D (just teasing).

SewingSew, I had a similar experience with shoes. While in college, I had an early class and my roomy was sleeping late, so I got dressed in a darkened room. When I was halfway to class I noticed that I had two different shoes on and didn't have time to walk all the way back and then get to class on time. It happens that I had several pairs of flats in the same style but in different colors. What I was wearing was a navy on one foot and, on the other, a brown and beige. I was on my way to speech class and was one of the speakers that day !

These stories are really funny. I think MarionQuilts wins so far. I'd love to see anyone top that. It's sadly comforting to know I'm not the only one who does ridiculous things. The Tom Selleck story was great! Loved the naked kids in the car situation. And the girl who walked across the parking lot with her skirt hiked up was a riot! Thank you all for making me laugh.

GailG, I was telling my son about leaving the house with different shoes on and he laughed and said the same thing happened to him recently. Must be genetic...

The breaking and entering story had me on the edge of my seat. It is super ironic that you are a cop. I wonder if an "intruder" has ever been shot under such circumstances? A similar thing happened to me about 15 years ago. We were living in Ohio in a suburban neighborhood. The houses next to me looked similar. The woman next door had past away and people were coming and going all day paying their codolences. There was a deck off my kitchen with a sliding glass door, and I heard people talking as they opened my sliding door and helped themselves to a glass of water and sat down at the kichen table. They looked up as I walked in the room and asked, "So are you friend or family?"

My most recent story happened last week at our Homeownwers Association Meeting. The subdivision has a property management company. We are new here so only second meeting for us. Comments were being made and one woman said "why can't we fire (name of property management person who attends our meetings and supposed to keep up with things)? She is less than useless." Awkward moment. That property management woman woman says "wait a minute - I'm right here". Whoops! First woman didn't skip a beat. She proceeded to list all the times she needed something and property management woman didn't respond. It took the meeting a while to regroup.

You all made my day. I have too many of them to list. Thanks!