Random shit that embarrasses you

[Sparklyboots]

.... I'll start. People peering into my shopping basket. I find it mortifying and feel inexplicably defensive (without really being clear what I am defending or for what reason). I feel the same whether it's tomatoes in the basket or condoms and pile cream. The self-service thing is such a relief.

Thank you, cause I get so incredibly embarrassed. I feel my face burning and everything 😂
Like what am I supposed to do?! Join in? Smile? Pose? Who do I look at? What if the sparkler goes out before they get to me? Should I pretend I didn’t see and act surprised again?!
(These are actual thoughts that go through my head)

Listening to music on my headphones in public. I'm always convinced that everyone can hear and judge my music

I had my debit card "not authorised" in the local Aldi. A card I use all the time & has ample funds. Tried several times and they even tried another terminal but no joy. Queue building up and people tutting and staring. The more flustered I got and the more I insisted the card was good, the less the cashier believed me and said "sorry madam, if you can't pay you'll have to leave the shopping here". I then offered to go to the cash point to get cash but assumed that my card had been stopped for some reason through no fault of my own, so clutching at straws really. Cashier looked skeptical but to my relief it worked so I literally flung the cash at her and rushed out of the shop, only to be called back as I'd left my phone behind. Mortifying

I'm also a blusher. My whole face, neck and chest, even my arms too go bright red at the slightest little embarrassment!
The biggest little things that cause me blushes are getting into/ getting out a car/generally sitting in a car with someone watching.
Waiting in a queue. For any reason.
Sitting on a sofa when people can stand behind you.

@AuntieDolly

Going for a walk without a coat on. Even in warm weather going out in just a top is almost impossible for me.

This is me too

I also never know what to do when I'm walking towards a crossing and the green man is already on. I have no idea how long it's been green for or how long it will stay green, but I don't want to run to get across before it changes in case I don't make it in time, so I kind of hang back and pretend to look at my phone or in a shop window until the traffic moves again and I can press the button myself.

@AuntieDolly omg I thought it was just me!!!

When I'm called from a group of people (hairdresser waiting area for example) and they don't use my name, but seem to talking to me, but I'm not 100% sure. That whole 'who me?' thing is excruciating. But not as bad as walking forward when they actually were speaking to someone else.

Ooh and when you think someone is saying hello to you and answer them and then realise they are answering their phone. Blushing now.

Yes, to the wearing clothes in the shop you bought them from! Absolutely hate audience participation too, such as pantomimes, booing, he’s behind you, the singalong bit. Like pantomimes, would rather hide in the toilets at those points though!
Can’t physically bear watching those sitcoms where you know what the misunderstanding/embarrassing bit is going to be. Showing my age but Some mothers do have them was unbearable.
Getting used to ignoring my face on video calls now, wish you could blur/turn off your preview bit. Speaking of which ending video calls at work, are you supposed to wave or not??
Making small talk with people you don’t know. I know they say people like talking about themselves, but I always worry they will think I’m being nosey and so end up tying myself in knots about what to ask.
I probably need a therapist!

Getting a taxi and having to talk to the driver...I'm no good at small talk.

At my workplace they used to get someone who was a very good singer to come to your desk and sing happy birthday usually for milestone ones that your colleagues would be celebrating with you. So so glad at my last big Birthday there it didn't work out. I used to cringe for the ones who did have it done to them.

And absolutely hated with a passion having to do role play at any training days. One of my worst nightmares.
I remember at school we got a new English teacher who asked to me to stand and give a one minute speech about a onion. My sibling was very good st this and as usual they thought I must as well. It was a very hellish minute and I was virtually struck dumb. He never asked again.

@Shirleyphallus

People being slightly in my way and me having to ask to get by them, because in my head I apologise in french and honestly am very close to saying “pardon!” which will really mark me out as a weirdo

I have done similar just today :) I'm learning japanese atm and was listening to a japanese rock band while walking. I came up to a dad+2 kids who were obviously asian and automatically said "sumimasen". And I'm very obviously not asian. Dad did raise an eyebrow.

@imaginethemdragons

Public singing. Any kind of public singing. Every day I drive past a pub with vast outside seating and a “paid pub singer” wailing away. Tonight it was The killers…are we human? Or are we dancers?” Pink shirt, unbuttoned to the waist, streaks in his hair, gold watch, just fucking horrendous. It made me want to turn myself inside out with utter horror.

Stuff like Jane McDonald’ doing a lovely documentary about cruising, gorgeous places she visits them at the end on a gondola belting out some God awful tune unrelated and randomly thrown in. Full makeup, clicking her fingers along, stuff that your 90 year old Nan would tap a foot to.
I have to turn off. I just can’t stand it.

Photographs. I refuse. Point blank. No discussion. It’s a clear no. Refuse to be in any photo anytime, ever.
I’m fat, I’m old, I do not want to have all of that magnified forever. No. It makes me feel physically sick looking at myself. No.

🤣🤣, I love watching Jane Macdonald's but the singing is so cringe.

Mine is having the doors beep when leaving a shop and the security guard has to ruffle through uour stuff. I once had a dodgy sticker from one shop which kept beeping every time I went into other shops. They had removed the tag so couldn't see where it was coming from. I gave up after the third time it happened and went home.

This thread is making me cringe, for mixed reasons! I have always been someone easily embarrassed, quick to blush, horribly shy as a kid. I have fought against it hard as an adult, learned to laugh things off because it was limiting my life and if you can’t try something like skiing where you one hundred per cent are going to fall over and look like a prat lots of times in public to even begin to get better then you are really limiting yourself. Yes I still can’t dance but I’ve learned to care less. Laugh things off, people laugh with you. I find some of these very sad. If you ever find yourself at a music festival or gig and too embarrassed to lose yourself in the collective joy of a group of people spontaneously singing and dancing you are missing out on something amazing.
Having said all that, I totally get lots of these - aisle seats in theatres, group introductions and small talk, petrol pumps etc. But you have to fight it! Life’s too short. Sympathy and all that, but fight!

Being addressed as "mum". Dude, I'm not your mother!

I grew up South Africa but I’ve lived here most my life. I have the accent still.

Nothing worse than bumping into another South African… That awkward conversation… what area are you from? How long you been here? Why did you leave?

And they always latch onto to you, like seriously, I wouldn’t want to socialise with you in SA. Why do you think I want to here? I have nothing in common with SA other than the occasional longing for certain foods. After the initial conversation it is just awkward silence.

Or worse when someone introduces you to another expat… “this is my mate John, he is from SA too.” Great what am I supposed to do with that info?

Or “I know someone from SA their name is John Smith, they lived in Cape Town.Do you know them.” Um… no… SA is about 10 times the size of UK.

mum2b43 😂 yes you see if I’m honest I imagine anything with ‘town’ in the name to be about the size of Portsmouth 😂😂 it’s like the classic English opening gambit to an American, “l know a chap in New York”

If we stop at traffic lights I mouth different random words, other than the ones to the song I was just singing along to, in case people see me in their rear view mirror and know what I’m listening to.

When entertainers pretend they can't hear you.
How are you doing Inverness!?
I said how are you doing Inverness.
Shut-up. Please.
Overly jolly chuggers in the street.
Oh and the phrase 'grab' I.e on days when you need to grab and go urgh barf.