Everyday we battle through a world of awkward encounters. They happen to us all, short insignificant moments in our lives that cause such awkward tension. These everyday uncomfortable scenarios that we all dread include:
1. Seeing people out of context
Running into your professor at Wegmans or your dentist at Panera is always rattling.
2. Waving to somebody who wasn’t waving to you
3. Seeing somebody you know walking at you from far away
You both see each other from a distance. If you say hi when you first see each other you will then spend the next fifteen strides just avoiding eye contact and pretending to be busy as you approach each other. Or you rudely pretend you don’t see each other originally and admire the foliage until you are close enough to each other. Then you glance over and toss them a friendly greeting. Nobody wins in either scenario. It’s the worst.
4. The infamous hug/handshake confusion
5. Uncomfortable scenes in movies you are watching with your parents
It happens so fast. You are just watching American Sniper with your dad and everything is fine. It’s a great, action/drama film and all of a sudden it gets graphic. In the worst way possible. You conveniently have to use the bathroom just as the tension in the room reaches an all time high and awkwardly hide until the sounds in the movie tell you it is safe to return.
6. Responding to a compliment
7. The half jog you do when someone holds the door for you
Even though if you are so far away for it to really be clear that you are heading for that door, people at BC will hold it for you. Next thing you know you are moving at a pace that can no longer be called walking but surely does not look like an athletic jog.
8. Trying to console someone who is crying
9. When people sing Happy Birthday at you
There’s almost nothing worse than the time that passes while your friends/family/classmates sing Happy Birthday to you. All eyes are on you and you are the only one who has nothing to do. All you can do is sit an smile and wait until it passes.
10. Accidentally liking a photo from 47 weeks ago
11. Nervously giggling because you can’t hear someone and you already said “what?” three times
Once you have hit your “what?” quota all you can do is laugh and nod with a blank stare on your face hoping that your response is somewhat appropriate.
12. Pulling on a push door
13. Rushing to put your change in your wallet while a line of people waits behind you
You can feel the stares of the people behind you as you drop three pennies and struggle to slide the five dollar bill into the slot in your wallet. It feels like you have been standing there for an hour now. You quickly just crumple the receipt and stuff it in your pocket and bring back your half jog and get out of the way.
14. Saying bye to someone then realizing you’re going in the same direction
Maybe if we could learn to embrace these awkward everyday encounters we are able to laugh at ourselves and enjoy these everyday awkward encounters. But for now…
Sources:
https://media.giphy.com/media/AXozEkiE5p4EU/giphy.gif
https://media.giphy.com/media/jOoxG4mWGuH9S/giphy.gif
https://boldomatic.com/view/post/5v18Xw
https://media.giphy.com/media/Cj3hvSCe8zRVS/giphy.gif
https://media.giphy.com/media/2c85nqHAg7b4UjvMY/giphy.gif
https://media.giphy.com/media/e0jaO1G1dd0A/giphy.gif