Those Embarrassing Moments That Make Us Human

Oh those terrible 'embarrassing gremlins' who hang around you just waiting for an opportunity to embarrass you. They will do anything to trip you up just when you need to be at your best, won’t they? Grrrrrrr, how we all hate those creatures! But how do we fight back when they are determined to cause havoc with us? I know it isn't really the gremlins fault since that is how they were made, but they should give us a break! Don't you agree?

• Have you ever tried to impress someone only to drop the papers you were using as notes.
• Have you ever found yourself in a gathering of close friends and/or business peers only to (sssshhh) pass gas that is smelly and/or loud at the moment of a handshake (or just as your boss walks by)?
• Have you ever worked hard, over a long period of time, to research and write an article only to loose the notes?

I think we have all found ourselves in embarrassing moments like the ones above because of those horrible, horrible gremlins. You can't hide from them, or tackle them to the ground, or even block their efforts as we all know! But we can blame them, right?

As a human being, we all have bodily functions and awkward moments that could be embarrassing at any given time. Etiquette dictates that we must be on our best behavior in public, but our bodies (or is it those gremlins) seem to feel differently about such things. They roar like thunder; growl like an angry bear; stink (on occasion) like a stagnant pool of water; and even take away our grace just when we need it most. Welcome to the human race, or is it the gremlin battle?

Try to remember that all of those friends and/or business peers that you are desperate to impress are human just like you. They have the same grunts, growls, smells and graceless moments that you do. They are struggling just like you are to contain the embarrassment of their own bodies (why don’t I just say gremlins and get it over with since we all know the gremlins are at fault, right).

Okay,” you hear yourself saying, “so everyone makes a mistake or two now and then, but I seem to make them all the time. I seem to be always apologizing for the things that happen to me. I seem to be stumbling over my own words (or feet) no matter how hard I try.”

Well, perhaps you're correct. Believe it or not, the more afraid you are of making a mistake the more mistakes you will make (perhaps because of those rotten ‘embarrassing gremlins’). Besides, if you are human and those you want to impress are human then why do you stammer and struggle to cover up mistakes? Mistakes, I wish to remind you, that those you wish to impress have made in the past (or present) just like you. It's the gremlins, I tell you. Oh, and just so you know--they make the same amount of mistakes (not the gremlins, the ones you are trying to impress) as you do--but you aren't with them all day so you don't see all of theirs, only your own.

They don’t sleep or ever give up on trying to ruin your moment of excellence. They put their foot out to trip you while you walk down the aisle. They shove papers off the table. They let loose with those bodily functions we all hate. They hide your notes. They whisper in your ear so that you forget what you were saying. They even cause you to spill your drink on your brand-new white shirt just before an important presentation. Yes, those gremlins are rotten to the core!

Okay, I guess the joke is on us. The Gremlins don't really exist; at least I am not aware of any existing Gremlins. However, it feels nice to blame embarrassing moments on something else rather than our awkwardness, gassiness or, well, unexpected moments. I mean everyone trips up now and then. We are all human and subject to human weaknesses. So, instead of condemning yourself for the moment, just blame the gremlins. You will feel better, at least inside yourself. Others may have a different opinion.

I hope this hub has given you a few laughs. Perhaps some of us may even begin to relax and understand that "we are all human".