Very 'normal' things that make you feel awkward

[DancingDucks]

First of all I'm sticking a 'lighthearted' in here. 😊

A friend and I had this conversation the other day and it made us both laugh, so maybe it'll cheer up a wet and windy day for some.

Some of mine:

When people wish me happy birthday on Facebook. It's very lovely of people but makes me feel so weird and embarrassed, so I now have my birthday hidden.

Waiting to get off a bus. Not sure what I think will happen, but I get all weird and stressed in case I forget to thank the driver. Which would never happen because it's so drummed into me.

Standing behind people at a cash machine. Even though I stand well back, I fear I might look a shifty and robby type, so try to arrange my face as benignly as possible, hence looking slightly vacant.

Walking past my own house. This is so weird and I've no idea why it makes me feel like I should give a jolly wave to my house.

Please tell me I'm not alone in my weirdness ...

I got ridiculed for confessing this on another thread! If I’m walking past in close proximity to people outside their house - washing a car/windows/ gardening etc., I never know whether to acknowledge them or not! If I do, I spend the next few minutes cringing in case they thought I was being weird. If I don’t, I spend the next few minutes cringing in case they thought I was really rude!

I understand the weird

Thank you OP, I didn't know I could hide my birthday on Facebook but I have now done it because I hate people wishing me happy birthday too. I fret about whether I've thanked them all, and if I've used a kiss for some and not others or a smiling emoji. Pathetic!

I get very awkward when someone puts out their hand and I have to shake it. I haven't lived the sort of life where hand shaking is a regular thing, and I never know how to do it. Grip hard? Limply move up and down? Besides which I don't really want to touch the hands of relative strangers with all their accompanying hand sweat and germs. But I do it anyway and cringe inside.

I get the weirdness of having to say hi or hello to people in the street or not !
I sometimes just smile, but that probably freaks them out even more!

I don't like hugs

I was always scared of coming downstairs if we had visitors. I was reasonably ok if I was downstairs at the time they arrived though.

I was always taught to shake someone's hand when you are introduced to them and I think I have probably terrified a fair few people but thrusting my hand towards them and shaking away with my vice-like grip. I've stopped this over the last ten years or so because it doesn't seem to be the done thing now but my god I think some people must have thought me terribly formal! 😂

Me too!

I don’t like being the one to turn out the lights downstairs before bed, as i always feel like something is going to chase me up the stairs and get a bit panicky 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

I also didn't like coming downstairs in the evenings after flushing the loo in case I didn't get down before it stopped flushing!

I love threads like these as make me feel like I’m not alone in my awkwardness 😅
Mine is gardening in the front garden when people walk past, and answering the door when we have a takeaway delivered 🤣

Walking across the road at a crossing

Going to the toilet when there's guests in the house

Walking up stairs in front of someone

Waiting for a lift/being in a lift

Watching a musical at the theatre. The exaggerated singing and facial expressions made me feel awkward and embarrassed. I know another person who feels the same.

Haha! Yes walking in close proximity to people doing ‘something’ like weeding, windows etc. I always say, pretty much every time, ‘you can do mine for me too, if you like!’ with a manic grin probably. Thing is though I forget who I’ve said it too, so I probably look like the local oddball who only has one joke…

Opening presents in front of people. I hate doing it. Even if I love the present I feel panicky that I look like I don't and then over egg it and it's awkward for us all. I then go over and over it in my head later. I'm really not even an awkward person, this one weird thing just makes me act bizarre.

Actually two things as also splitting a bill makes me cringe so much, the awkwardness of it, and it's not even awkward.

Most of these things already mentioned 😂

Childminder friend used to hate choosing outfits to wear. When parents dropped/collected she was often wearing something different and blamed it on getting mess down it. But that's not the reason, she just wasn't sure if she'd matched her outfit right and would change a jumper or top regularly throughout the day.

Calling someone by their name. I really hate it for no reason. I don't think I used my (now husbands) name for months when we started dating.

Listening to poetry makes me cringe so much and I don't know what to do with myself.

Also agree with loads of the others posted, I'm just an awkward person.

I'm another one who hates having to get off a bus. I don't mind if mines the last stop but I get nervous about when to ring the bell and when to stand up, if I stand up too soon will I then stumble if the bus goes round a corner, if I get up to late will the driver think no ones getting off. I breathe a sigh of relief if I see someone else getting off at the same stop. Thankfully I drive so very rarely use the bus.

Another one is opening presents in front of people. Even if I really love the present I always think I sound insincere when saying thank you and how much I love it etc.

I feel like this to and know a few people who do I want to say to the performers please stop as I feel embarrassed for them too

But they seem to be enjoying themselves weirdos

Some old neighbours had their front all paved over so they didn't have to garden at all out the front and therefore avoid the awkwardness !

Having to talk to our ice cream man! My youngest is on a mission to try every type of ice cream he makes, he's always happy to show her new products but I feel awkward that we're inconveniencing him. My oldest always chooses the same thing. I worry in case people think I'm really strict with one child and really relaxed with the other! The ice cream man always remembers what we like, I'm hoping it's because he's good at his job not because we're pains!.

I thank bus drivers when I get on, because my weird phobia is shouting across crowded spaces (I live on London when you get off at the middle doors, and don't walk past the driver).
However, I can now shout to my kids across any amount of people, so partially cured I guess.

Walking past older people taking their bins out. Is it nice manners to offer to help or is it weird?
My building has a shared entrance and I don't like neighbours coming in as I go out. All that door holding and corridor niceties is awkward.

Getting out of a pool makes me want to be sick.

If someone if picking me up in their car, the walk from my door to the car is the most embarrassing thing ever!