Normally, I am a functional, emotionally healthy person. But every now and then, a memory will pop into my head out of the blue (usually while driving) and I literally squint my eyes up and bury my face in my hands in pure, agonizing shame. This gem popped into my head this week:
5th Grade: My mom took us to Baskin Robbin's for an after-school snack one day. I asked for a sample spoonful of Gold Medal Ribbon. The server scooped up the ice cream on the tiny pink spoon and held it out to me over the counter. Instead of taking the spoon out of her hand with my own hand, like a normal person, I stood up on my tiptoes-
and I ate the ice cream out of her hand.
I forced a stranger to spoon-feed me.
I still don't know why I did it. I have no excuse. I even remember thinking as it was happening: "What am I doing?!" It was like my body took complete control and my mind was powerless to stop it.
It was a moment of pure insanity.
It got me thinking about other cringe-worthy moments I've experienced in my 25 years of life. The following came to mind all too quickly:
Age 7: Throwing a HUGE fit for our babysitter. Normally, I was a very well-behaved child, but I think she refused to let me have sour-cream and onion potato chips before bed (D.U.M.B.), and I pretty much had the nastiest temper tantrum in history. Still embarrassed. The sad part is, if somebody denied me sour-cream and onion potato chips today, I'd probably react the same.
3rd Grade: Trying to get my teacher's attention at the front of the room, I accidentally called her "Mommy." She looked right at me and said:
"I'm not your mommy."
Thanks Miss Pattison. Thanks for the public reminder, because I forgot you weren't my mommy.
Age 23: Soon after our first meeting, I had fallen hard for my future husband. He had yet to reciprocate. One day, as my friend and I were long-boarding/bicycle riding, Colt drove by on his motorcycle. If you haven't met my husband, it's imperative that you understand, he looks damn fine on his motorcycle. Anyways, he drove by.
I promptly took a hard fall off my longboard.
Colton turned his motorcycle around and drove back to see if I was ok.
Nobody was laughing, just looking at me with concerned faces and asking me if I was hurt.
Everybody knows that falling off a longboard is far less embarrassing when people joke and laugh about it then when people are all worried for your safety.
So I crawled under a rock, and didn't come out until he married me.
Just kidding. But I wanted to.






























































