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 the cleaner comes to my house and I just lay on the sofa reading mumsnet whilst she cleans.
I feel so ashamed I've started actually cleaning with her too....

When someone I know is driving in front or behind me - like if leaving work or something and you recognise their car.
There's obviously the pressure to not make any silly driving errors and then if one of us turns off should I wave or not? Do they know it's me or will they just think it's some weirdo 😂

Going to the loo in a restaurant/bar where I don't know where they are. I am sometimes ok but sometimes just paralysed with something that makes me sit there desperate but not willing to get up. My husband knows to give me precise directions assuming he has been and the womens are near the mens. Buffets as well in big hotels freak me out, I want to know where the thing is and go directly, not meander round. Is it a fear of getting lost and looking foolish? We were in Germany last year and there was a side room that had additional buffet stuff in I was saying after a few days oh I'd have thought they would have had x on the breakfast buffet, husband and child look at me like I am mad, mum there are 10 varieties of x, nope not seen them.

Victoria Coren’s ‘funny’ bits at the beginning and end of Only Connect. Surpassed only by the bit when she makes the nerds sing.

I have to mute it.

for me its speaking on the phone to friends. I can phone companies, restaurant etc. I am first on the phone if there is an issue with something eg faulty goods. I just really cringe to speak to friends on the phone. I never know how to end the conversation either, which freaks me out even more, I avoid calls with friends at all cost LOL

Asking the price of something in a shop and then the awkwardness when you realise it's more expensive than you thought it would be. I did this in Tesco yesterday, couldn't see the price for a gift set I liked so asked the assistant who was in the aisle opposite. Even though it was expensive I put it in my trolley and then 5 minutes later went back to the aisle and hoped the assistant wouldn't see me putting it back. She was still in the aisle opposite so I quickly put it back and then ran before she spotted me.

The continental kissing each side of the face in greeting or to say goodbye. Do you know them well enough, do you like them, don’t want to seem weird or unfriendly.

I hate when I have some handyman or gas bloke in our house doing some job and I’m in around sitting in the living room or moping around pretending I’m reading or something to keep an eye on on him…

Oh my God yes, the comments about the window cleaners 😂😂😂 I also hide on the landing where they can’t see me!!

I'm nodding to so many of these! Definitely the going to the toilet when you have guests but also using someone else's toilet! I'm an old hand at saying 'morning' to everyone but still cringe when I say morning and realise its past 5pm. The worst bit is when you say morning or hello to a fellow dog walker on the housing estate (rather than in the open fields) and they totally blank you - I spend the rest of the walk wondering if I upset them, was it wrong to be cordial, did I commit some huge faux pas in my transition from village to urban dweller?

I always wave to DD’s school when I go past and say ‘hello DD’ even if she’s actually with me.

when I go to the hairdresser we always have the exact same conversation and share the same anecdotes (we have some mutual acquaintances) as if we’ve never mentioned them before. She doesn’t seem to find it awkward but I do.

Also Gen X & was coming on to say the same!

I don’t know why but I’ll do almost anything to put off having to speak to someone on the phone - even though I’d spend literally hours on a landline chatting to people back in the day when there was no other option.

When I eventually do it it’s always totally fine, obviously - it’s not like I’ve had some dramatic phone trauma that’s put me off - so I don’t really understand why I’ve got like this.

I’ve been wanting to get my hair cut for well over a month now and still not made an appointment, even though it’s starting to look crazy bad, because it means I have to actually call them - what’s wrong with me?!

Haha I used to hate this so much I would simultaneously love and hate christmas and birthdays as a child.
I am better now but still feel awkward I just don stress Like I used to

I remember feeling like this when I was a pre teen, staying over at my cousins and his friends were round. I just couldn't walk downstairs if they were there, but ok if I was already downstairs when they came round.

So many other PPs scenarios I can relate to too.

I hate phoning for a takeaway as I always worry I won't understand what they as saying, especially if their accent is a very thick one. I think it's also because I have a general hatred of making phone calls as I worry I don't know where conversation might go and if I have the relevant information they might need.

Getting the train. I don't do it very often but when I do I worry I have got on the wrong one and stress until I get to where I need to be. To date this hasn't happened.
I get flights even less, so you can imagine how high my stress levels were getting a flight to the US with just me and my teen dd!

Kiss greetings, hug greetings, I really hate it. I’d rather just say hello, except for very close family such as my husband, kids and parents.

Yes! And worse, you can't just pop to the corner shop and buy ONLY toilet paper, you have to buy other stuff too to make it look like a casual toilet paper purchase rather than a desperate need for a shit.

I felt so bad for a woman in our local corner shop when I was standing behind her and she had a giant pack of toilet rolls. She looked at me and said 'tummy bug' in low hushed tones, then immediately looked mortified. I gave a knowing look, but the shop keeper said 'what's that?' and the woman kind of shifted uncomfortably beside me before I helpfully remarked 'tummy bug' whilst pointing at the poor woman. I still have no idea why I did this. She paid and left and this whole incident has frankly haunted me for about the last 5 years. I haven't seen her in the shop since, so I can only assume that she moved house immediately.

Even worse, colleague or professional contact kiss greetings!

I had to check there were no pedestrians near enough to hear the clunk when I remembered to do the central locking on my car. I worried they'd think I suspected they were going to carjack me.

Calling my partner's parents by their first names. We've been together over thirty years. I've got adult children, their grandkids, but...but...they're grown ups!

Oh yes .... same feeling I get when I see those gurning accopella singers in a shoppping centre etc.

yes I really hate going to the hairdressers and put it off till I'm desperate. Staring at my aging face while being asked about my plans for the rest of the day/weekend/holidays is my idea of hell.

I detest going to the loo when I’m out. As I’m late middle aged, I have no choice. Going to the loo on a train is the pits. Explaining what I want to look at to overzealous museum and NT volunteers is a no go. Asking for what I need in a small shop, the same. Strangely, I’m more or less ok eating alone in restaurants and travelling alone.

I find crossing the road at either a zebra or pelican crossing really cringeworthy! The fact that I have interrupted people from driving and stopped multiple cars just to cross over, and I imagine them all staring at me and seething with impatience. It makes me forget how to move my limbs and arrange my face to resemble a somewhat normal human being.
Yes I know it's silly and no I never get angry or feel impatient at having to stop for pedestrians when I am driving! 😆

The other day I wanted to go out and weed my front garden,I looked out the window and my neighbour across the road was out sweeping her driveway,so I didn't go out!
I'm a wierdo

I sometimes have to make calls at work, I'll try and get away with an email first as I really don't like it.
The worst one ever though I was leaving a site and was trying to get in touch with a client. Was thinking of a lot of things at once so hung up when the answerphone kicked in.
Decided to try again and leave a message, did a little rehearsal. The answerphone kicked in and I really jolly said 'Hi DopeyS'. Paused for a bit, panicked and hung up. She left the company so I didn't have to talk to her again. I just cringe when I think of her listening to the message 😂😂😂

Hugging people goodbye unless they are close friends or relatives! I'm too British for it.