My Most Embarrassing Moment

Thanks to Blue Lily Photography blog, I have been inspired to share the story of my most embarrassing moment in an effort to win a free photo session. I wouldn't do this for just any contest, but these guys are INCREDIBLE photographers and I have admired their work for several years while I have been lurking around on their blog, so the least I can do is relive some embarrassment, right?!!

When I was about 9-10 years old, my mom served as president of our church women's organization. During this time, we spent A LOT of time at the church while she was having meetings or organizing and preparing for different activities. My brother and sisters and I became very familiar with the building and loved to play in it. While we were never allowed to run and play in the chapel, mom didn't mind if we played in the gym, hallways or classrooms. As children, we spent many hours fantasizing about what it would be like to buy the church when they built our new building and turn it into our home. We had big plans for the indoor gym (roller skating rink), stage (platform for the aspiring models and actors/actresses we were to become someday) and even baptismal font (hot tub)! We took turns picking which room would be each of ours and naturally decided that the little kids' rooms would all be in the downstairs portion of classrooms, while ours would be upstairs (because we were so much cooler than them....).

Anyway, it was during one of these long afternoons at the church that our imaginative play gave way to a game of hide and seek. After exhausting all the best hiding places, I decided to go into a classroom and climb up into the windowsill (which was about a foot wide) and pull the curtains shut behind me. That way if anyone looked into the classroom it would just look dark and empty. It was a great hiding place! I heard them come looking for me, but I was NOT getting out! They would have to find me!

I was standing up there on that windowsill feeling pretty darn proud of myself when the light turned on and I heard voices and chairs being opened up. I peeked out through the crack in the curtains as discreetly as I could and realized that the classroom I was hiding in was now the setting for our church youth group meeting! These kids were several years older than me and oh-so-cool.....And I was the dorky little kid hiding in the window!

I was determined not to let them know I was there. I figured I could outlast their meeting if it would spare me the embarrassment of being discovered. It was a very surreal experience standing up there in that window. My heart was beating a million miles a minute and I was up about 4 feet off the ground peeking down through this crack in the curtains willing them with all my might to finish up and go away! The longer I stood as still as I could be, the more I realized that I needed to use the bathroom!

Things were not working in my favor. I could hear my mom and brother and sisters calling for me out in the hallway. I knew I was going to be in A LOT of trouble for making them all wait, but the thought of opening up those curtains and climbing down from the window mortified me! Eventually, the urge to pee outweighed even my fear of embarrassment, so I threw open the curtains, jumped down to the ground and yelled excuse me as I ran out the door! I could hear the room erupting in laughter behind me, but I didn't care.....I went to the bathroom, then I got out of there as fast as I could! I have never played hide and seek at church again!