Things that you still cringe about...despite the fact that it was decades ago with people you no longer know..

[JandLandG]

This came into my head as a fun/silly/light-hearted idea to chat about bc I reasonably regularly do this...

I thought I'd start things off with a typical example...but now I can't bloody think of one!

I'll be back...but for now...anyone fancy sharing...?

I still remember cringing badly on someone else's behalf. Was talking to another woman (most definitely not pregnant) at a wedding reception and was 30 odd weeks pregnant myself with DD2. DH was talking to another bloke and nodded in our general direction, talking about expecting our second child. A short while after the guy came over and congratulated the woman I was talking to and asked when the baby was due.

I’ve done that.

”Whereabouts in Ireland are you from?”

”Cumbria….”

I dropped a sanitary towel out of my pocket on my doorstep. All of my male family members and some of those door knocking people selling dusters had to step over it, over a period of several hours 🤣

I don't tbh past is the past.

I have loads of these that make me cringe regularly.
My most recent one was at a kids party, my son recognised another boy who we used to go to playgroup with and who I used to chat to the mum, but the dad was at the party. Anyway when it was time to eat they sat together and I got talking to the dad and he was saying how he knew my husband etc. I thought he asked me how I am so I replied with my age, and he said sorry I meant her, pointing to my youngest sat on my knee. I just laughed it off and said oh I thought it was strange you were asking my age. Absolutely cringing inside though and still now 😂

Mine only happened last month…

I’d booked a massage and paid the deposit, I’d had an awful nights sleep the night before but it was too late to change the appointment without losing the money.

The massage was so relaxing I drifted off to sleep, I woke up to the sound of an enormous fart and thought it was highly inappropriate the massage therapist was just letting one go just because I was asleep and she’d think I wouldn’t hear.

It too me a few seconds to realise it was me that had let rip a huge unrestrained fart. To make things worse it was pretty noxious and I was deeply embarrassed.

I didn’t know if I should apologise or act like it didn’t happen, in the end I decided to feign I was still asleep and the therapist changed from doing my lower legs to my scalp in an attempt to escape the smell.

I thought I’d managed to avoid acknowledging it but at the end I was so embarrassed I couldn’t look at the therapist and didn’t book my next massage like usual.
The lovely woman tried to put me at ease by saying not to worry about letting a trump out, she claimed it happened to a lot of people as the result of the massage and she saw it as a compliment.

I have chosen to believe her as it’s more embarrassing not to return and she does a great job. I have a massage booked next month and I will ensure I stay awake with a clenched bum just in case.

A childhood one. I didn’t know the ways of the game pin the tail, and the hostess invited me to go first. She handed me the tail, and I went up and stuck it in exactly the right place. Job done. The resulting laughter and cries of “cheat!” told me I’d done something very wrong: and the hostess, with scarf in hand, explained sympathetically that I had to be blindfolded. 😳 From then on, I was reluctant to go first for anything, in case I got it wrong.

I really fancied one of my teachers at school.
One day after a school hockey match I was cycling home from it and saw him walking home, he called out to say hi and I turned to wave and cycled into a parked car 😂😂

this is basically my life, I am a walking disaster and torture myself daily with things I did or said yesterday or years ago, I’m sure I make some worse than they were.

there’s an enter shikari song called stop the clocks that has the line;
There's a cinema in me
It plays counterfeit scenes
All my worries and blunders

great song, seems apt for this thread

Oh... that's just brought another very cringe childhood memory back. We moved just before I started senior school and my new school was very different... in hindsight it was just very rough, Y7s had already discovered makeup, heavy petting, swearing and smoking! My old juniors, we were still doing handstands and playing with dolls!

I was invited to a pajama party by a girl in my class, several of the 'cool' girls were going. I wasn't sure exactly what a pajama party was. My dad said it was like a fancy dress party where people wore pajamas and then stayed overnight and because I didn't want to wear my My Little Pony nightie I borrowed my (male) cousins pajamas... they were burgundy button ups...

My dad dropped me off and waited until someone opened the door. I can still picture the girl opening the door, several of the other girls already inside too... all dressed completely normally and just staring at me😭

I never knew if it was a genuine mistake on my dad's part or not.

Oh and another…

I was swimming the other day and I take my own towels rather than using the ones provided by the gym which is in a hotel and I’m a member of.

My towels are very distinctive and multi coloured, I sometimes forget a locker token but don’t take anything valuable except my phone which I keep with me as I listen to audiobooks with swimming headphones on. When I forget a token I just leave my towel and shampoo and conditioner in the unlocked locker.

I got out of the pool and walked past the showers to the changing room and saw someone had my towel hanging on the back of the shower cubicle door ready for when they finished the shower, I thought it was very cheeky so I grabbed it and took it back into the changing room and went to get my shampoo from the locker.
As I opened the locker I saw my towel was still there and realised I’d just nicked someone’s and left them without a towel when they finished their shower, I took it back and was holding it out to hang it up just as they were leaving the shower so it looked like I was standing with it ready to dry them.

Luckily when I I explained and showed I had the same towel the woman found it hilarious. We both agreed it was a huge coincidence we had the same towel that we got over a year ago from the same supermarket during the sale and how it’s rare to see someone with their own towel and not the hotel ones handed out at reception.

I still cringe thinking about it and I’ve seen the same woman who is a gym member a few times now, she’s never brought her own towel again!

@Minimili

Loved your cringe post and felt your agony. Am sure you won't be doing any more Donalds but am worried for you as clenching means you can't relax for your massage.

❤️

I still cringe about something that happened over 30 years ago. Aged 16 I moved from a small town to a much bigger city and my new classmates all seemed very streetwise/mature compared to my previous school. I was a very studious/straightlaced child with strict parents really wanted the other pupils to see think I was cool.

In French class, after we learned a particular topic the teacher would ask a few of us to have a short conversation with her in front of the class. The topic was 'Le weekend' and teacher asked me and another person to explain what we like to do at the weekend, then asked everyone the same questions about what time, where, who we go with etc. The teacher picked me second (so I even knew what the questions would be) and the conversation (in French) went something like:
Teacher- 'what do you like to do at the weekend?'
Me- 'I like to go to a disco'
Teacher- 'Who do you go with?'
Me- 'I go with my friends Nicola and Isabella and my boyfriend Phillipe' [all non existant]
Teacher- 'What time do you go there?'
Me- 'Erm, about 7 o'clock'
I truly had no idea what time people went to clubs but most evening parties I'd been to with my parents started at 7pm so I assume that would be about standard. When the laughter started (lots of the other girls really did go clubbing at 16, this was before everywhere asked for ID) I realised I'd got it wrong and my new classmates obviously either realised I was making it all up or thought I was going to some sort of children's disco. No one ever asked me about Nicola, Isabella or Phillipe but I spent a good few weeks worrying about what I should say if they did.

Omg thank you for this, I am in stitches 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

At school, about 11/12 years old. The science teacher picked me to read an extract of a book out loud to the class. Instead of organism I said orgasm. Although I didn't fully understand what it meant, I knew it was a 'rude' word and was mortified! Thankfully the other kids didn't seem to notice but the teacher definitely did 🙈

Those fishbowls are a nightmare. I've been on about 3 and each time I manage to whack my head going round. Never again!

@AltitudeCheck Oh dear, that's just like Bridget Jones in the first film, when she turns up to the Tarts and Vicars party, finds everyone normally dressed, because she hadn't been told.

With the first "sleepover" I went to (aged 12), I didn't know that it didn't involve sleeping, and the point was to stay awake most of the night. Also, the first ever Red Nose Day in 1988, everyone there turned up in red noses, except me. How did they all know? (My parents didn't embrace popular culture at all, and shunned television in general.)

This was what I was always afraid of, all these things that nobody tells you, yet you are expected to know! I once turned up to non-uniform day ("charity day" it was called) at secondary school in my uniform. Somebody on my way to school told me it was charity day; I assumed I was being pranked, so I didn't turn back. When I got there and saw everybody out of uniform, I actually cried. I had not heard any announcement about it. My male and cynical middle-aged form tutor was very kind, allowed me to stay in the classroom while everyone else went to assembly, and told me on my own that non-uniform day was optional, and that he thought it was a silly thing anyway. From then on, I double and triple-checked in the school calendar when charity day was, as it was once every term.

On a residential I wanted to shave my legs but didn't have a razor. I took a boy's out of his bag (he had several disposable ones - I'd asked if I could buy one from him and he'd said no). I thought I could use it it and return it before he got back, but he noticed.

I lied and said I didn't have it but he knew it was me.

This was 25 years ago and I still remember it fairly often and feel soooo ashamed. What was I thinking?!

I also cringe about the guy I kissed as a teenager who gave me a whole "you're the only one who understands me" line, only to spread mean rumours about me the next day. I strongly suspect he kissed me for a bet. Wish I'd told him where to go.

Unfortunately there are many more.

I have a very recent one. Went on holiday and was on some new medication which made me sleep walk (never been a sleep walker). It was weird, I was slightly aware of what I was doing, but it felt out of my control.

I'd got up, needed the loo but instead of using the ensuite, I went out into the hotel corridor in just a (short) t shirt and pants! Wandered around the entire floor and couldn't remember where my room was, so was tapping my key card (which I had at least managed to pick up!) on every door I passed, until by chance I found mine. I have a vague memory of passing at least 2 people on my way. The only reason I knew it wasn't a dream was that I hadn't been able to get the card into the wall slot in my room so had thrown it on the floor, where I found it the next morning.

Every night after that, I barricaded the door with my luggage, the luggage rack etc! This did stop me as I know I went to do the same thing a couple of times more, but just stumbled back into bed when I hit the barriers. I'll never see those people again but I cringe thinking about it. Although I was very relieved that I don't sleep naked!

Waved to someone who was waving at the person behind me 🫡

My neice called her Hermi-one.
To be fair it's not a name we hear every day.

Clear winner.

Me too! 😂

I wouldn't worry about it. I think they were all Hyacinth Bucket types who thought you were being tight or vulgar, but they're the vulgar ones judging you and indirectly showing off about how much money they can afford to waste. Plus it sounds like a lot of food waste was averted. I'd have been with you, fighting over who took what home

I did this once and never would again.
The person involved was quite horrible about it actually.