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 ...

When I don't get paid on a Thurs or Fri and know I then have to wait until Monday (because banks) yet companies can take payments out over a weekend seemingly without the issue of banks... I hate all the emails and the fact I have to then rearrange them to be paid which causes so much extra unnecessary work.

I get nervous when it's time to say goodbye to people. I'm wondering if they'll expect a hug and I'm not keen on hugging if I don't know them well. But I worry they'll think I'm unfriendly if I don't.

I need to borrow a baby!

Feeling awkward waiting to get off the bus? Simply shout, "BYE BYE DRIVER, BYEEE DRIVER, BYEEEE DRIVER, BYEEEEEE, BAHYEEEEEEE." IFKYK🤣

I feel weird receiving presents, I cringe when someone mentions that I’ve had my hair cut, and I feel weird seeing adults eat an ice cream!
cripes are are a weird bunch.

When I had my hair cut, one woman commented on it and said to me, 'Well, YOU like it and that's the main thing.' It still makes me laugh - it was so obvious that SHE didn't like it!

I also hate them, film or theatre. Just so cringey.
I make an exception for the Muppets Christmas Carol though.

All of this. Which is why I only go every 6 months!

Sometimes when I'm walking somewhere in public, I have a quick panic and wonder if I actually got dressed in the morning. A quick look down and then I'm relieved I did.

Oh no no no no! I've just turned inside out remembering an awkward situation and one that I had to endure weekly for about 6 weeks! 😳
I have a chronic back and (back then, also hip) condition and when it flared up, the back rendered me pretty immobile.
Many many years ago, I was referred to a physiotherapist by my doctor.
He was an absolutely lovely man, at the time probably mid to late 50s. I was in my 20s and quite a big lass.
Anyway, first visit he ran through what he would do next time, to help to loosen my back up. I didn't give it much thought as I couldn't picture what he meant. He told me to wear leggings or shorts, so I chose leggings.
Get to my first proper appointment. He asked me to lay on the treatment table, on my good hip side with my knees drawn up and my bum to the edge of the table.
He then tucked himself into my bum so that his groin was right up against me, interlinked his fingers and cupped his hands above my hip joint... And started rocking me back and forth! Oh my God, I thought I was going to die of embarrassment! To all intents and purposes, it looked like he was shagging me from behind! All this and the chit chat while doing it was so cringeworthy!
I must have spent the entire time bright red in the face! It didn't help either on one occasion, when the receptionist came in with some paperwork!
I never got used to it and was so relieved when my treatment finished!
Sorted my back out though! 🤣

I forget how to drive when I'm being followed by a police car or van. Not ideal!

You are all neurodivergent. None of this is normal.

I’m really sorry but all these examples do make you seem a bit weird….

I think within reason is ok to offer.

I used to offer to carry older people's bags up escalators.

once, I carried a heavy suitcase up from the tube at Victoria station, then all the way to Victoria coach station as we were going the same way.

I was too awkard to give it back and had to walk slowly as lady couldn't keep up.
She didnt speak English either, so just awkward silence.

I was sweaty by the time we got there with an aching arm. Vowed then, never again.

Saying goodbye twice. I find it hugely embarrassing.

I live in a townhouse. I hate cleaning my windows from the inside at street level because when people walk past, I dont know where to look. Should I smile at them, should I look to the sky. Agh so awkward.

Recently the protein powder I like was on sale for half price, so I wanted to buy one of each flavour. But they come in 2kg tubs and I felt embarrassed going to the shop and buying four big tubs of protein powder so I made my husband go and buy them for me.

I also hate reading the letter chart in an eye test. If it’s a G and I say C I feel like such an idiot and feel like I need to apologise to the optometrist for getting it wrong.

Standing in line for the loo and the person coming out looks at you in the eyes and does a massive smile. You go in the loo and realise that they have done a huge stinky poo. The air is thick with their poo, why were they smiling? Relief? Aggression? If i leave too quickly am I rejecting their poo smell, will they be watching me? Also will the person behind me think it was my poo?

Also I have a ridiculous provoked by thought gag reflex, I'm likely to retch in public for the rest of the day. My adult dc often say 'what is it now 🙄?' and I say 'I can't talk about it' then will have to explain when in private that I had thought about a runny egg.

Similarly, I had a fringe cut in and an acquaintance said, "ooo you've got a fringe! (Longish pause here) Very brave!"

🤣

@Scotland32 Not wanting to derail a light-hearted thread, I see where you are coming from. A lot of the time, I sneer about things like this, and I want to scream "Oh for God's sake, just do it!", when someone hesitates because they feel "awkward", but I try not to forget that I used to be like that myself. I had to work hard to overcome awkwardnesses of mine. It often happens in comedies that people put themselves out massively, because they are too awkward to ask for something they really need, and I often don't find it very funny, because it reminds me of how I used to be. It's a very British trait, being awkwardly polite about mundane things, which can be very inconvenient sometimes.

I've mostly reached the "I don't give a shit what other people think of me" stage of life, and I'm proud of it; but I do not forget when I used to put myself out because things felt "awkward", and so I try to have sympathy for people's awkwardness.

Erm…can anyone confirm whether this is normal practice?

God that's never happened to me, where they've actually smiled! More likely to look at the floor & shuffle away...

I am going back to the 90's. Maybe things have changed now, but at the time, it was probably the only position he could get me into to move my pelvis, without causing me further pain!
Don't you think if I'd thought there was anything inappropriate, I wouldn't have raised concern?! I had absolutely no complaints about him at all. He treated me and it worked.
My comment was purely about the embarrassment factor! 🤷🏼‍♀️

There's a few real life things I cringe at such as leaving a toilet and someone goes in straight after you.
However weirdest one for me is that there is a scene in the old Willy Wonka film that has made me cringe since I was a child and I don't know why. Its when Wonka presses the button of the Everlasting gobstopper machine and it makes all these weird noises and movements. Whole thing makes me squirm and feel odd! 😆 Rest of the film is great though!

I’m glad it sorted you. I’d have died.