This morning, in my rush to get to class on time, my purse catches on a door handle. I fling back against the door like a dog who has reached the end of her leash.
In the commotion, I actually punch myself in the face with my flailing arms. Students look on with pity.
How profoundly embarrassing and highly unprofessional!
To make matters worse, a student orbiting nearby becomes sucked into my gravitational pull. She steadies herself against the door so I don’t bring her down with me. She’s young, cute, and very stylish. I’m worried she’s broken a stiletto heel in an effort to avoid me.
“I’m so sorry! My purse caught on the handle!” I explain, fumbling with my books and trying to untangle the purse strap.
She turns to me and giggles. “I do that all the time! I really do! That happens with my purse so much.” She helps me regain my balance and then moves forward into her bright future.
I watch her hurry away, and I’m so thankful for that sweet college girl. There’s something about rushing to the aid of a person in an embarrassing situation and saying, “This happens to me all the time.”
I felt better.
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Journal: Have you ever helped to diffuse an embarrassing situation?
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This post made me laugh, remembering the time I was trying to maintain my poise in front of someone famous with whom I was sharing an elevator. I did all right until we reached my floor, at which point, upon exiting the elevator, I tripped and fell to the ground. While holding a baby. We were both fine, but everyone gasped as we went down. Not only that, but we fell in such a way as to block the elevator door from closing, so this famous person I greatly admire could not leave until I had extricated myself. A nearby friend hurried to help me up, and as I escorted my bruised pride down the hall, she said warmly, “That has happened to all of us.” I laughed and protested that that was absolutely untrue, but her sweet gesture made me feel less like an idiot.