Most abashing moments in life

It is normal and natural for people to face embarrassing moments in life, and this week’s Memory Lane is going to be filled with such moments.... The following experience was faced by one of my friends, whom I had to help to find a solution which was actually rather a funny one.

One day my friend has to go to a washroom from where bawled out saying that there is no water in the tap. Well, I went and checked the water tank and too bad it was empty alright, due as the motor could not be switched on due to power cut. With little time to think I opened the refrigerator and took out all the cold water containers and gave them to her.

She came out with an embarrassed smile on her face, and to make her feel easy I said, “Take it cool my friend, you have just had a cold wash.” And we both burst out laughing. Just imagine, ice cold water to clean up.... not your face!

A few days ago, my boyfriend and I were discussing about the wonderful moments I have had with my father. For some reason he said “your father sported a beard, didn’t he?”

“No, he didn’t, but actually speaking he did. I had got confused, but didn’t want to give any excuse because I felt totally embarrassed and sad as well for forgetting even for a single moment, how my father looked like. Until today I’m trying to recall how it happened and still the answer seems to be blowing in the wind....

This happened once again to one of my buddies and surprisingly I was there to witness it. My friend had an elder sister and on this particular day, a guy and his family was scheduled to come and give their consent to have my friend’s sister’s hand in marriage.

This was something new to me and was the first day I witnessed such an occasion, because I personally don’t believe in arranged marriages. Anyhow I was eagerly waiting to see the follow-up of traditions and to share the joy of a new couple getting to know each other. Though my buddy was excited for her sister, she was silently complaining saying that her sister should find someone for herself.

After a while the guy and his family arrived and what a shock, the guy was my buddy’s crush and she gave a sheepish smile and when they gave the consent for her sister. Not only my buddy but I myself felt embarrassed. I felt extremely sad for her, thought of saying ‘hard luck, my friend’, but she responded before I could say anything. And this what she said, “Arranged marriages don’t sound like a bad idea after all!”

Anuki and I have had this problem. When a ‘hamuduruwo’ says ‘Theruwan saranai’ or ‘Budusaranai’ and so when one fine day, a hamuduruwo told her ‘Theruwan saranai’ and she was at a complete loss. She pondered on it for a while and asked the hamuduruwo “What shall I say hamuduruwane?” and he on the other end of the line, said “When a bhikku says Theruwan saranai it’s perfectly fine for a lay person to say the same thing.”

You can imagine how embarrassing it is when someone says happy birthday to you and you end up saying “Same to you”, even though that other person’s birthday is not on that day. Well, what I went through was much more embarrassing phone conversation. One day a hamuduruwo called me at our place and - hard luck - I picked up the phone.

I’m always uncomfortable when I’m talking to a hamuduruwo. We are from a very conservative household and I’m very careful to pay hamuduruwo their due respects. He asked for our address and I told him. At the end of the conversation he said ‘Suwapath wewa’.

In my excited state I blurted ‘Suwapath wewa hamuduruwane’. I was soooo embarrassed. I told my mother that I may never recover from this embarrassment.It is perfectly alright to face embarrassing moments in life once in a while but it’s not bad idea to push someone to face in such situations.