You have a booger in your nose.
Your fly is down.
You have food in your teeth.
You have ink on your face.
You need a mint.
Your skirt is tucked up.
You forgot to take the tags off.
One day in seventh grade, I was standing during free time in my pre-alg class as one of the few younger kids among many older ones. I was engaged in conversation with a few different people when one older girl loudly declared, "Um, your zipper is down!" which naturally attracted the attention of many around us and initiated giggles from my peers.
Another time a few years later I wore a new shirt to church for the first time. As I stood in a circle with a bunch of friends, one loudly declared across the circle from me, "The size sticker is still on your shirt." She didn't move to grab it off for me. She didn't say it quietly or privately. Instead she said it overtly enough for everyone to take notice of my mistake.
In ninth grade, I fell asleep with my face in my hand during one of my classes. Unfortunately that hand had had sharpie reminders scribbled all over it, and unknown to me, those reminders had transfered from my hand to the side of my face. During passing period I walked from one end of campus to the other, stopping to talk to several friends. When I got to class I chatted with a few classmates before heading to go to the bathroom before class started. It wasn't until I glanced in the mirror that I saw my day's notes on my face and quickly washed them off.
Feeling embarrassed in public is not my favorite thing in the world. It doesn't help that I can blush simply at the mention of my name. Through many experiences like the ones related above, I have learned to go with the flow and laugh things off and move on, but sometimes the natural man takes over and that is not such and easy task. I am pretty sure that most people feel similarly. So I have taken it upon myself to try and ease the potential for embarrassment in other people by subtly letting them know something needs to be picked, zipped up, wiped off, or untucked. I know what it feels like to be caught in an uncomfortable situation, and I want to spare others from feeling the same way. Unfortunately, sometimes I just sort of... chicken out. If its a friend, I have no problem quickly helping them remedy a problem. But with a stranger, it is admittedly a bit more of a struggle.
And now, I wish to make a public apology to the girl in my Marriage and Family class last wednesday, because she had a little yellow leaf in her hair and I did not say one word about it. Not even as we stood outside the classroom waiting to go in. Not even as she sat down next to me. Not even as she leaned over and asked me a question about an assignment. I had seen it, I knew it was there. But for some stupid reason, I kept my mouth shut, right along with everyone else around us. How lame is that? Okay so it really was not that big of a deal, but I just know that if it were me I really would have wanted someone to just say, "oh here, you've got a leaf in your hair, let me get that for ya," and then life moves on. NO. BIG. DEAL. Ugh, shame on me.
So then, this is my recommitment to being the kind of person who doesn't look away, ignore, and stand back when there is a little opportunity for simple service. This is my recommitment to treating others as I would like to be treated. The Golden Rule, my friends, lets all follow it!
Its a good thing i'm never embarrassing in front of a camera. Oh wait...
