Curls & Capes

Embarrassment is Inevitable

Posted on October 14, 2014 Updated on October 15, 2014

I have to laugh when I hear the language of parents unexpectedly streaming out of the mouths of their children. If you want to know how parents react to life,  just wait for the toddlers to start talking; they’ll tell ya. Embarrassment goes hand in hand with the parenting of our children.  It’s unavoidable. Sometimes we get away with just a smidgen of it, but other times…there’s no place to hide. Nothing is sacred!

We were having dinner at our friends’ house one evening. We had met Gary and Linda at church. They were older than we were and had no kids at home. We had three at home and were fully engulfed in our adventure.  Gary had the most unbelievably infectious laugh. It was a deep, rumbling from the gut, house shaking, conversation stopping belly laugh. Anyone who heard it, loved it. It didn’t matter where he was or what was happening at the time. If it was funny to him, he laughed, and then everyone else laughed.

Gary and I were relaxing in their livingroom. The ladies were prepping in the kitchen, and the kids were playing here and there. Gary was sitting in his easy chair and I was sprawled on my belly on the carpeted floor.  I remember being tired and the soft carpet felt delicious. It was a great opportunity to doze a little before dinner and relax from my hectic schedule.

As I lay there I remember feeling a bit bloated. That “gassy” feeling that we all get from time to time. I knew that once dinner was announced I would excuse myself and briefly step outside. The carpet was so alluring I simply didn’t want to get up until I absolutely had to. Hindsight would say differently.

I can only imagine how inviting it must have been for Abbey as she saw me there on the floor. Abbey is our third child and second daughter, and she was as cute as they come. There has never been a mean bone in her body. Seeing me spread out on the floor looked like a normal part of our wrestling ritual and was too good to pass up. So without so much as a, “How do you do?” Abbey came up from behind and jumped squarely on my lower back. There was an immediate and explosive response.

Yep. You guessed it. I farted. This was no light duty sissy fart either. This was the kind that was supposed to happen to other people so you could laugh at them, and never…ever… while visiting at someone elses home. Sorry folks, but it was a cannon-shot, and I was suddenly flushed and bright red in the face.

That was all it took for Gary. He let out one of his famously instantaneous belly roars. He laughed and laughed and laughed. The house shook and still he couldn’t stop himself. Now everyone was laughing because it didn’t matter where you were in the house when it happened. Everyone heard it.

Why is it that when something like that happens there are so many things that zip through your mind in a flash?

Maybe I can pretend it didn’t happen. Was it really that loud and obvious?  Do I come up with a snappy comeback? I should  just play         dumb like I don’t know what anyone is talking about.

Nope! This was one of those “no place to hide” moments. I was caught dead-to-rights. So, I did what everyone else was doing at the time. I started laughing at myself and this harshly embarrassing moment. There was nothing else to do. This took the notion of “getting to know people on a personal level” far beyond where it was ever meant to go.

It was a good lesson for me. I have a tendency to take myself too seriously. It’s a great mile post that I can look back on when I’m in that “oh so serious” mode of mine.  Note to self: laugh with those who laugh, especially if you are the one caught in the cross-hairs of embarrassment.

There would be other moments to come because embarrassment is inevitable for parents. Ask me how I know? Go ahead…ask me, I double dog dare ya.