We all have cringe-worthy moments that never leave us.
The Extra
During the pandemic, when all homework had to be submitted online, I accidentally attached a photo of myself crying along with my math test.
The Seat
I’m an assistant and called in the next patient. Without looking up from the monitor, I quickly finished an email and told him to take a seat while typing. When I finally looked up, I saw he was in a wheelchair. Later, the doctor called him in, and he rolled away while maintaining intense eye contact with me. Once, I even asked a one-armed patient which arm I should draw blood from…
A Lasting Memory
I was walking past the Opera House when two foreign girls asked if I could take their photo. I said sure, snapped a quick picture with my phone, and kept walking. That was seven years ago, but I still wonder monthly what they must have thought of me…
Forgiving
Walking down a university hallway, I bumped into one of my professors. She said, “Oh, sorry,” and I replied, “It’s okay.” She just stared, and I got so embarrassed I hurried away. After that, she always gave me suspicious looks when we crossed paths, and I’d avoid eye contact and slip away.
Long-Term Commitment
I couldn’t say no to a handsome guy and ended up signing up for a two-year charity program against my will, which meant a few dollars were deducted from my account monthly. The next day, I called my bank, said my card was stolen, and asked them to freeze my account.
The Footwear
At 14, when I went to buy shoes on my own for the first time, I wandered the store cluelessly until I spotted a pair of cute boots by a bench next to a box. I tried them on and was admiring myself in the mirror when a girl came over and politely asked me to return her boots.
World Disaster
As a sales assistant, a very cute guy asked me to help him pick a perfume. He sprayed some on his forearm and held it out for me to smell, and I kissed his arm. We just stared at each other, then I quietly ran back and asked my coworker on lunch break to serve him. I didn’t come out until he left.
Grasped
I always get anxious at Aldi checkout because the cashier scans items so fast I can’t pack them quickly enough. I panic, feeling terrible about holding up the line. Once, I was so focused on packing fast that I accidentally grabbed and yanked the cashier’s hand. Since then, I shop at Lidl—I’d die if I ran into him again.
Cough-Cough
During the pandemic, an older man came into the store and coughed heavily for minutes. My coworkers and I watched quietly, but he told us to relax—he didn’t have COVID, just lung cancer. I said, “Oh, that’s good.”
The Jitters
I tried ordering at the Drive-thru McDonald’s three times but stumbled and stuttered each time. After a few seconds of silence between me and the dispatcher, I drove off without saying a word. Once, my friend decided to adopt a cat, and I sat at my laptop and searched for “used cat.”
