Muffins with Mom – A dinner invite - finding humor in an embarrassing situation



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I broke my family’s cardinal rule, if you don’t know something, ask questions. I always stress to the kids not to be afraid to ask questions. In my case I didn’t think I needed to ask questions. I was invited to a dinner gathering at a nice restaurant. The hostess showed me to the room where she said my party was taking place.

I entered the room to men in suits, women in dresses and me in my casual Capri pants and slip on shoes.  I didn’t see anyone familiar yet, but I figured these were people I hadn’t met yet. I set my jacket and purse on a chair and proceeded to the hor de’ oeuvres table.  The stuffed mushrooms were great.  I saw another women enter the room who looked as if she were searching for someone. As I headed over to make small talk with her I heard the question that she asked. “Is this the gathering for the freelance writers group?”

“No, this is the dinner for surgeons, blah, blah, blah…” the other woman replied.  I only heard part of the woman’s answer, but I heard enough to know I was in the wrong place.   I searched for a place to set my empty plate as I quickly gathered my purse and jacket and said to my new friend, “Don’t leave me.”

Not only did I have egg on my face, but I had a stuffed mushroom in my belly….from someone else’s party. Together my new friend and I found the correct location of our party. Once I was settled, I shared my adventure with our other dinner guests for a good laugh. I was able to find humor in an embarrassing moment.

There are therapeutic benefits to laughter, according to holisticonline.com. Laughter is said to decrease stress hormones.  Laughter is considered aerobic, “providing a workout for the diaphragm and increasing the body’s ability to use oxygen.” A good belly laugh also helps muscles to relax.

The next time you trip, bump into a wall or do something else that may cause embarrassment, remember to find something funny in the situation.  If you can find something funny to laugh at, others will laugh with you.

How do you handle embarrassing situations?