Things that make you feel awkward..
 

Today we have some ladies coming here to clean my house. Since I have been sick, I haven't been able to do the heavy duty cleaning or doing/using things that might make effect my lungs, so we hired a service to do spring cleaning.

I'm sitting in the one room they are not doing - my hubby's home office - and feel really awkward about having other people clean my house. At least I have a ton of phone calls to make. But it still feels so weird!!

What makes you feel awkward?

I feel awkward when the cable guy, or some other service person comes to the house. I never know what to do--should I just stay in the next room, should I engage them in chit-chat, etc.? lol

It's awkward when someone is mad and getting in someone else's face while I'm sitting right there and can't leave.

It's awkward when someone talks on their cell phone in a public restroom

So awkward! Just flush a lot of times in a row and announce "sorry" loudly while they are chatting away.

I've only used a cleaning service twice in my life. Both times, I let the people in, explained my special requests, asked if they needed me for anything, thanked them, and took off.

Whenever any other service (cable, maintenance, etc.) comes in, I play hostess and asked if I can get them anything. If not, I kinda walk around and make myself available every so often in case they need me, which they always do.

Awkward...hmmm. I think the only thing that really makes me feel awkward is dealing with adults who have some sort of mental illness/disability that makes them act out. The worst for me is adults who shriek and yell in enclosed spaces. I end up getting startled, leaving me with a look of terror, and then I get self-conscious.

I hate when you see and acquaintance that you kind of know, but you don't know whether to say hi or not. It's even worse when you're using public transportation with them for an extended period of time. And it's even WORSE when you're Facebook friends for whatever reason.

Yes! I hate when I see someone that I know, but not well, and I'm not really sure if they would know who I am if I *did* say hello. It's a weird situation all around. I don't really do the public transportation thing, but this seems to occur to me in grocery stores for whatever reason.

Awkward: Getting into an elevator with just one other person... especially when it's a co-worker. I never know what to say! I've trained nearly the entire office and pretty much everyone on my floor in this computer filing system, so I "know" everyone, but not well enough to carry on a conversation with them for even 60 seconds. I always TRY to discuss the weather, or something generic like that, because standing there in silence, even just going up two floors, can be excruciating!

^^ or if you see an acquaintence but don't quite know (or remember) their name but have a strong suspicion that they know yours.

It's slightly easier if the person is a man because, as a man, you can easily default to "hey, dude, how's it going?" and go from there. But if it's a woman, you've go to handle it better. :)

I have no problem with people cleaning my house!! I LOVE IT!

I feel awkward watching people sing (I don't mean professionals, but regular people.) so I can't watch AI or any of those shows. If someone sings to me, I literally want to fall through the floor.:eek: It happened once in a tiny restaurant. We were sitting with a group of physicians and physicians assistants when I was still a surgery resident (ie we were talking shop) and an opera singer was sitting next to us trying to eat a rare steak while I apparently was having a rather loud conversation about holding someone's heart during surgery. The convo segued into musicals and my general distaste for musical theater, at which point the opera singer stood up and interupted our conversation. He proceeded to seranade me with "Pretty Women" from Sweeny Todd and "If Ever I Would Leave You" from Camelot. My husband loved it, but I really thought I was going to die...his eyes didn't leave my face the entire time!

This thread reminds me of The Adventures of Awkward Black Girl!

That's the only one I can even think of - especially if it's a couple who up until then have never shown any hint of discord in front of you.

-When someone says "Oh, my niece/neighbor/cousin/wife/distant friend who I barely know found out you were interested in job/professional school/whatever and would LOVE to talk to you about it"...my dad always INSISTED that I call all of his random friends of friends of friends that had gone to med school (I'm premed). They knew I was calling, but it was still the most awkward conversation ever. "Oh hey person who I've never met, tell me what to do so I can be just like you..."

-Planning on meeting someone somewhere in public if you've never met them in person before. I have to meet prospective students for my job sometimes, and it's always like "uhhh...hey person looking lost, are you so-and-so? I think I'm supposed to meet with you..."


I really am a people person and not shy. I guess I just don't like forced conversations with stangers!

I don't feel awkward often, but I feel odd when we go to a bar or pub and there is a live band playing. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate good live music. But I feel like I have to watch them play, and that's boring. But I feel rude and awkward if I turn my back to the band and attempt to have a conversation.

Oh man they took our sound cards out! :(

Oh boy... I have holes in my memory from a series of head injuries, which plays out in a number of ways. One problem I have is facial recognition. If I don't know someone well, I won't get any sense of familiarity upon meeting that person again.

In the not too distant past, I was at a sorority event. As I passed by a little group of people, a woman (not a member) yelled my name loudly and waved me over. I had no idea who she was. Because this is an ongoing problem, I've gotten to the point where I have no shame anymore. lol She reached out to hug me and I whispered in her ear, "I'm so sorry, I can't place your face" or something to that effect.

Turns out this was a person I should have known very well even though I hadn't been around her all that much, but I won't go into the gory details. It was a bad situation.

When people (friends) are talking about plans and they're not really including you...but you want to join or do whatever they're talking about and it is awkwardly unclear if they want you to come too or not. I'm trying to be better about asking, "Hey, can I tag along?" but still...it makes me feel like the odd man out and then it makes me feel uber paranoid that they're talking about me behind my back or figuring out a way to get rid of me.

Same here, I always awkwardly hover, feels weird to be standing around, but you don't just want to leave.

How coincidental that this thread was started today. I had workmen in my house all day installing a replacement central air system because my old system crapped out. It was kind of awkward having several male strangers traipsing around my house ... I pretty much stayed in my office as I had to work anyway.

When a service person comes to the house, I generally stay out of his/her way, but not too far away, for two reasons - I want to be available if s/he has any questions for me, and I want to be sure nothing walks away with the service person (for heaven's sake, you're letting a complete stranger into your home). It does feel awkward to be sitting down in the basement in a folding chair at a folding table with my laptop when I could be upstairs in my office at a proper desk - and I'm sure they know EXACTLY why I'm downstairs and not upstairs.

I completely agree. This happened to me last night with two friends of mine and it was mad awkward. Like "mommy and daddy are yelling and I don't know what to do". I told them that later though and they laughed. We're good friends, so it's not too bad if they have a tiff, but if it's an acquaintance or someone you just met it's excruciating. I also hate hate HATE it when people yell. Ever, for any reason. It makes me so anxious/upset.

Also awkward, when you're babysitting and the family gets back and you have to say goodbye. It's awkward because you don't want to just go "PEACE" but at the same time, once the parents are there, there is no reason to stay, but I don't want to seem overeager to leave. That feels rude. Also it's awkward because you've kind of been the parent/caretaker for several hours and now the real parent is back, so your role has been usurped too.

Even awkwarder-- when you're waiting around for them to pay you. You know that's why you're there, but honestly that's not why I do it (I do it because I love the kids) and it's just icky feeling. Also I hate it if they get the total wrong because I hate asking for more money, as I feel I get paid well already. Bleh.

I do some computer jobs on the side, usually for co-workers. I always feel awkward telling them how much they owe me. I did a big job for my department chair which involved two trips to her house (Sunday and Tuesday this week). She was out of town so I was working with her husband and not her. He said "Chris said I'm supposed to pay you so how much do I owe you?" I told him "I charge co-workers $25 an hour and I worked on this for 7 hours so $175" and he said "Oh come on now, tell me a fair price, that is not enough". I wasn't sure what to do so I said "Ok, $200 will cover my gas too" and he gladly wrote me a check for $200. It felt awkward though. Most co-workers, after I tell them the price, write the check for more anyway. They do realize I'm giving them a deal, especially if they've ever used the Geek Squad from Best Buy for similar work. If they were strangers, I don't think I'd feel awkward telling them what to pay me. It just feels weird because they are friends as well as co-workers.

Also awkward: I am horrible with placing faces and I have no excuse like preciousjeni's. I am simply bad at it. I feel horrible when I say "It's nice to meet you" when I've met them before. I had that happen tonight. I was at my cousin's graduation dinner and my other cousin had brought a girl friend. She and I talked quite a bit and at the end of the evening, I said it was nice to meet her. Honestly though, I think she was at my house for our family Christmas with this side of the family. In all fairness, my cousin is quite the charming young man and always has a beautiful and intelligent young woman at his side so it can be hard to keep them straight. I just don't remember if I'd met her ever before!

I can't maneuver the forum functions very well on my phone so I guess I'll just have to list them.

1. Ditto on the arguing but it's even worse when you can tell a couple is trying NOT to argue so things are just super tense and quiet instead.

2. when you have a mutual acquaintance with someone and that person wronged them in some way.
You: "How do you know Mike?"
Her: "He stood me up for a date once."
You: :(

3. Ditto on everyone excitedly talking about plans that do not include you.

4. When someone is telling you a story or sharing something personal but you're running late and reeeaallyyy have to go.

I hate when this happens:

Someone: What did you get in Prof. Smith's class?
Me: An A, how about you?
Someone: I got a C.
Me: Oh, that sucks, I'm sorry
Someone: Oh no, I'm happy about it!!

I always feel like SHIT when this happens, haha.

With the grades thing? When someone asks me how I did, I usually say something like "I did as well as I hoped, you?" The only exception was the guy who was in my last 4 grad classes with me because I knew he always did as well as I did or within a few points at least (which is why I did EVERY group project with him).

People who consistently talk bad about their spouse in front of me whether it is in public or private AND sometimes they will do this with the spouse right in front of them.

I'm not talking about the occassional frustration. I'm talking about they do this ALL of the time. Nothing their spouse does is good enough. Their spouse is so "stupid." They "hate" their spouse. They are always interrupting their spouse--just all around extreme disrespect.

This happens a lot with a family member. It's so awkward and awful. You just want to go hide.

Yes you do. My husband and I have actually been known to cut social outings short because of that because we dont do that to each other and dont like listening to it.

LOL this reminds me of a similar awkward situation. When you're leaving work and making general small talk with a co-worker, but somehow one of you gets into a story but then you arrive at the exit and you two are going opposite directions so the person telling the story has to wrap it up super fast and then it doesn't make sense and it's really pointless and awkward. This has happened to me (both being the story teller and story listener) a few times, haha

Y'all polite folks... lol I think the harshest thing I've ever said about my spouse in front of anyone else, including family, was something to the effect of "Grr...he's driving me crazy." I don't air grievances about my spouse to anyone but my spouse.

I can't stand when other people do that around me. I always try to redirect and, if it has gone too far, I'll intentionally offend the person. For instance, I'll say something like, "maybe it was your fault." People really just want someone to side with them and, when you don't, they usually move on.

You should. :) I will never understand people who come into a venue with a band, pay a cover and then proceed to chatter on like they're in their living room. Especially at this one very intimate place (yinzers - Club Cafe) I have turned around and told people to be quiet. It's REALLY stupid in this particular case, as there are about 50 ookabillion other bars within literally a step or two where no one is going to care if you talk over the jukebox. The only instance I can think of when conversation is acceptable is a cover band/party band at a huge bar and everyone's dancing.

In the words of one of my favorite facebook groups, "Shut the f^&% up, the band is playing."

-ex-band girlfriend/live music lover

33 girl, I have to chuckle. I never pay a cover to go to a bar where there is a band playing, unless it's a band that I want to see and I'm specifically there for them. If I go to Bar A, and there's a cover for a band, we go someplace else. There has been many a time when we go to a bar, sit down with our drinks, and then see a band setting up later, and I feel like it's time to go. It's a very rare occasion that we get out of the house to go enjoy adult conversation for a while. I don't intend to sit there and listen to a band (unless that was the goal for the night), we want to talk, so we'll usually leave. I just feel so weird sitting there listening and staring at a band that I dont want to listen to (esp if they're horrible!)

Like I said, the fact that you do feel awkward shows that you have a brain in your head. :) I know sometimes if you're in a small town though, your pickings for nightlife might be sort of slim.

I only feel awkward about certain situations up until I have to deal with it. If there is a rule in place then I don't feel so awkward about it anymore. I put on my big girl face and deal with it.

For instance the other day a classmate and I needed a study room and there was only one girl in the study room. The rule is one person cannot occupy a study room if there is a group who needs it. I put on my big girl face and asked if she had anyone else coming. I checked back an hour later and realized she lied about it so me being the person I am got a student worker to handle the situation.

As far as not remembering names. I boldly apologize to the person and ask their name again. And that is ONLY if they decide to talk to me. If someone is just waving then I'll usually wave back and make haste while trying like hell to remember.

What I do feel awkward about are drunk people. I experienced my first drunk person a couple of months ago. She was really upset and kept dialing a guy she liked. I felt really awkward about it at first but then I became pissed at her behavior and that's when I got ethnic :o with her.

Ummmm...... what @ the bolded?

1. Listening to people argue with my co-worker. She works right next to me and deals with people in high-stress situations literally all day. She is the event scheduler for our building and people are constantly miffed because the space they want isn't available, or they got accidentally double-booked, or they want amenities the building doesn't have. It's so painfully awkward to listen to and sometimes I have to go take a walk around the office if someone is being really nasty. I could never do her job, but she loves it and is really good at dealing with difficult people.

2. When someone posts something awkward or offensive on your wall on facebook. The other day a guy I haven't seen since high school made a weird, racist comment on my wall. He was trying to be funny but it was totally inappropriate and it wasn't anything I wanted associated with me. I deleted it and I was praying he wouldn't post something else about the deletion. My Mom, who wouldn't post anything offensive but frequently posts embarrassing TMI-type stuff, will get annoyed if I delete anything she writes and will invariably comment on its absence.