Sunday, January 6, 2008

All right, let's try something different

I loved Sean Kennedy's comment on the experience he had with a ripped set of tuxedo pants, and I found myself thinking that if there's one thing almost all of us have in common, it's probably embarrassing social circumstances.

I'm hopeful that all of them are far enough in the past to laugh at.

So step up, share your most embarrassing in a humorous way movements.

I'll go first.

It was the fall of 1969 and I was at a fraternity party at George Washington University, the second of my four stops on my 14-year quest to finish college. It was a rush party, and I was with a girl I had met at a mixer the week before.

She knew some of the guys in the house, and she was partaking heavily of the "purple Jesus" punch. Ah, those were the days. We were on the dance floor, her dancing somewhat groggily, when all of a sudden she slipped on a wet spot on the floor and fell flat on her face.

I was horrified for her and reached down to help her up. I didn't think it would be a big deal -- people slip all the time -- but I was surprised to find that she had passed out. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed, but most everyone was looking the other way.

By now she was snoring softly.

I finally managed to awaken her and get her over to one of the couches.

The funny part of the story actually didn't happen. A few days later, I was telling my best friend Mick about what had happened. He asked me if anyone had noticed and if it had caused any problems.

I said no and he told me what I should have done.

If a guy came up and asked, "Is that your date on the floor?," he said my response should have been this:

"Nope. My date's in the ladies' room."

-- or --

"Nope. I don't like girls."

4 comments:

Dale Morgan said...

One of many embarrassing moments for me....

Spring, Freshmen year at Lynchburg: We had to be home in the dorm (we had dorm mothers who were actually waiting at the door) by midnight on weekends. There had been a paint party off campus (freshmen girls were NOT allowed to go off campus). Of course we all went. We left with our cute little flowered dresses on hiding our bikinies (or 2-pieces I think they were called back them). Later, everyone in my dorm made it in safely, but me. I had imbibed a wee too much which was not what caught me. What it did, though, was make me overlook the paint job spiraling up and around my cute little flowered dress. Whoever had painted me had been very artistic and had painted tendrils of vines and flowers that were plenty of places outside of my cute little dress. Dorm Mother not happy. Dale very grounded. Girlfriends all glad it was me. Dale VERY glad Dorm Mother did not tell Dale's parents--that used to be my greatest fear.

Anonymous said...

I'm a little embarassed by this tale so I won't be leaving my name.

I was attending a party at a co-ed college (I was at one of the all-girl schools) and my friend went upatirs with a guy.

She was gone a long time, so I went looking for her and ended up walking in on her and her "date" and two couples doing it in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

It was like a Felini movie.

The bad part was I decided to leave and realized my coat was in that room.

I ended up having to interrupt one of the couples to retrieve my jacket.

I still flush when I think of that event.

Mike Rappaport said...

Yep, that's embarrassing.

I love the way that we're still the generation that refers to the act of love as "doing it."

It reminds me of my first newspaper job in 1980, when one of our young stringers (17 or 18, I think) came in and casually said to one of my colleagues:

"Reid, who ya boning these days?"

Anonymous said...

OK, here's one for you that is similar sounding.

I'm going to an all boys college in MD (Mount St. Mary's). It's my Senior year, and we're renting an off campus ski chalet as our residence. Great place for "studying" or for hosting a party with friends.

We had this weekend party at the house, with old friends who had graduated and current classmates. Lots of beer and hard liquor was consumed.

I was the ONLY one in the house with his own bedroom, and it had a double bed (this good fortune was determined by a card game the previous year)

I go to bed late that evening, fairly loaded. Later that morning I wake up to the sound of whispers.." no, he won't wake up, he's passed out" . Then I hear the sound of zippers and belt buckles coming undone, and clothes hitting the floor.

I'm trying to pretend I'm not hearing all this, as one of the guys has invited one of the girls at the party into a roll in the hay, in the bed where I am sleeping.

Talk about hutzpah. I wasn't sure if I should be angry, or admiring of their courage. Certainly I was amazed. Truthfully, at one point I thought I might actually live out a fantasy.

Well I took it about as long as I could. I suddenly arose from the bed, told the two of them they could have it for the evening, and I went out and slept on the couch.

I always wondered what my abrupt departure may have done to their "mood" . Later I did laugh about it with the guy who was involved.

The things that went on in college And this is the stuff I can remember.