My Most Embarrassing Moment (from that summer)

The following is a story that several of you may already know. I just can't help but disgrace myself further, though, so I have to make sure you ALL know.

Two years ago I was staffing at good old Kansas Bible Camp. That year they decided that each week camp would end on Friday evening (instead of Saturday morning) and that families would be invited for a picnic supper right before everyone was dismissed. There are many, many ways into the camp building. Those of you who have worked at KBC will remember that one way is a stairway near the pool that enters at the bottom of the steps to the girls dorms, and is one entrance to the Blue Room. To get to this stairway you walk through a semi-narrow path between the pool fence and part of the camp building. Are you envisioning this? Because it's an important part of the story. Ready?

Fine, I'll just show you.



So, this particular Friday evening just after the family picnic supper we were headed back to the building from the back yard area. I was following a crowd of people who were headed to that very same stairway to get to the chapel for the last part of camp. I was behind Micah and Paul, who were talking with each other. We got to that narrow portion and suddenly Micah and Paul stopped walking, turned to face each other, and kept right on with their conversation. At first I tried to get around them, but it wasn't really working. I could have gone back, but people were starting to build up behind me. So I decided to just be patient.

For all of 10 seconds.

Then (because life just isn't complete until I make an idiot of myself) I open my mouth. And to Micah and Paul I loudly ask "Why are we BOTTLENECKING here!?!"

Let me stop here for just a moment. I want to remember what life was like before this event. Because I really can't think about it without wincing and curling up in my chair like a baby. There used to be happiness and roses all the time, I think. There were pink bunnies who never ate our flowers and chocolate flavored trees. I think I vaguely recall never getting pimples or toothaches. Ah. That was the life.

Back to reality, though. Where was I, anyway? Oh...yeah...

"Why are we BOTTLENECKING here!?!"

A millisecond after I uttered these words Micah and Paul parted enough for me to see up ahead. On the stairs, about halfway up, was a rather large woman being assisted (slowly) up the stairs. The person who was helping her turned, looked me in the eye and said in a distressingly facetious way "Because there's a HANDICAPPED person on the stairs, TAKING UP OUR TIME AND SPACE!"

I think I managed to mumble something about talking to the boys in front of me, and not her. But then I ran away. And hid under a ping pong table.