What is your most embarrassing moment? We all have them, it’s part of life. But we try to bury the recollection deep in the recesses of our mind. The incident is usually horrifying at the moment, and you want to dig a hole and hide until it is forgotten, like a critter hibernating for the winter. But sometimes, after the passage of time, the humor of the situation seeps out and surfaces. When the sting fades, we are more able to laugh at ourselves. Many of the humorous incidents in my books are based on real-life incidents. Some of them were embarrassing moments that didn’t seem so funny at the time but, in hindsight, provide great fodder for my stories. Hopefully, they will strike a chord with the reader and evoke a chuckle.
I searched for humorous tales online, and discovered that embarrassing moments arose from a wide variety of origins. There was no one source fits all, although there were a few common categories: dating disasters, classic social faux pas, public mishaps and blunders, work snafus, miscommunications and misunderstandings, and the antics of children. Kids say the darndest things, as proven long ago in the books by Art Linkletter. At one back-to-school night, an elementary school teacher told the parents “I won’t believe the things the kids say about you, if you don’t believe the things they say about me.” Unfiltered children can be an unintended source of embarrassment.
Husbands can too. One of my most embarrassing moments occurred decades ago and yet still remains vivid in my mind. My hubby had visited some family friends and returned home with the declaration that “Pam is pregnant.” What he failed to disclose was that his announcement was not based on fact. It was pure speculation since her midsection had expanded a bit. Naturally, the next time I saw her I said, “Congratulations on your pregnancy” and gave her a big hug. She didn’t react as anticipated. She stood stiffly and looked up at me quizzically. Then, she patted her belly and muttered, “Gee, I guess I have gained a few pounds.”
