Remember that one time or (a hundred times) you did something utterly embarrassing? Ever feel like you’re more awkward than other people and that you experience more embarrassing moments than other people? Trust me – it’s not just you. We’re all imperfect humans who do ridiculous things and we have memories that still make us blush!
One of my favorite things to do is swap stories of cringy, embarrassing moments. Being vulnerable and sharing about our flubs makes us more relatable and builds trust. It’s also a reassuring reminder that we’re all just doing the best we can in this life. Best of all, the stories are hilarious!
That’s why I’ve never been shy about sharing my embarrassing stories with friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances and even strangers. They’ve giggled over my awkwardness that follows my personality, and the scenarios that I somehow find myself in – often! I’ve learned how to deal with them like a pro. Check out this post about that: How to Handle Embarrassing Moments at Work .
So, my friend, here is one of many Jody Lamb embarrassing moments: the story of that one time I walked around my office with toilet paper hanging out of my pants…for hours.
There were paper seat covers available in the ladies’ room at my office, but whenever I went to the restroom, taking that extra step of going to the seat cover dispenser seemed like a hassle. Instead, I pulled an exceptionally long series of toilet paper sheets from the roll, and carefully lined the toilet seat before sitting.
One day, I was in an extreme rush to meet a deadline. I went to the restroom and apparently, I was moving too fast to get back to my workstation. I had a standing desk in a high-traffic, open working area. Over the afternoon, I visited other departments and passed people in the hallways. We’d share an awkward nod or a quick hey. I estimate that more than 30 people saw me flying around the office on that extra busy day.
Some three hours after my restroom visit, I smiled at a leader in the hallway. But with furrowed eyebrows, she stared and motioned for me to step closer to her. The two seconds that followed as I neared her were terrifying because I was sure she had a criticism about my work. But she pointed to my pants, and whispered, “Jody, do you have, uh, a white scarf hanging off of your pants?”
White scarf? The words echoed in my mind. I said nothing and stared blankly at her for a second before I looked down to confirm that I was not wearing a white scarf, which I do not own, for a belt that day.
Aaaaah!
There it was – a toilet paper tail that began at the top of my pants and precisely rested over the center of my butt and cascaded down, ending just a few inches from my shoes.
I grabbed it and tugged but only half it of it appeared, and I ran (literally) to the restroom, without replying to the leader, with my short tail waving behind me.
Later, I thanked the leader who alerted me, and shared the story with coworkers. We laughed about how many people likely noticed my TP situation but were too embarrassed to tell me.
One friend loved this story so much, she felt everyone should know about it – and so they did. That day, she hung a sign in the ladies’ room that read “ALL EMPLOYEES MUST CHECK THEIR PANTS FOR TOILET PAPER BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK.” The story spread – and it brought a lot of laughter.
Okay, your turn. Tell me an embarrassing story in the comments! It’ll make my day!
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I so wish I were like you and could laugh at things like this! With people other than my immediate family and best friend, that is.
Oh my gosh! This happened to me. I was rushing through a grocery store and my period started. When I left the bathroom I didn’t realize that toilet paper was trailing me. I walked by a group of young men and no one told me until I was in the produce section. It haunted me for a while. I am kind of plagued by past embarrassments- things I have said or done but it is getting better. I realize (most of the time) that I am just human and that dwelling on those things takes me out of the moment and into a more comfortable place where I can tell myself things that aren’t true or feel badly about. I think you’re brave for sharing it.
Reading this made me feel so much better! I had walked out of my bathroom to go to class, I walked all the way across the room before I heard snickering and a friend came up to me and whispered, “Uh.. there’s toilet paper hanging off your pants” I was shocked and looked down to see a tail all the way to my knees. I was so embarrassed but chuckle every time I remember the situation
This exact thing happened to me today and I was so embarrassed haha. Thankfully a coworker of mine told me as soon as she saw it( I walked past a few other People but at least it was not for too long). I am glad you are able to laugh about it and it makes me feel less embarrassed about it thanks for sharing this 🙂
Ha! Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one! Hopefully your situation didn’t last for hours like mine did.