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Humorous but Humiliating Experience

E

Epsilon88

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 26, 2009
327
0
Hey guys,

Yesterday night was the worst evening that I've had in many years. Note: I am 21 years old. My parents invited a bunch of faculty from the local university (which I attend) over for dinner. I knew and respected many of these professors, and I was hoping to work with some of them and obtain references. Anyway, it had been a brutal week of little sleep running on Red Bull and coffee. I had (partly) lost my voice and looked like an unshaven drug addict. Everything seemed hazy and I felt like I was losing my grip on reality. I also had to do an online exam on my sexy Macbook Pro that was due soon, so I told my mom that I was just going to stay in my room. I wanted to meet them when I was looking OK to make a good impression. :)

So my mom reluctantly agreed with me. Anyway, the professors arrived and all was well. But after half an hour, my mom knocked on my door and said "Randy, come downstairs and talk to the guests!" (Note: at this point, the professors didn't realize I was home)
Me: "Mom, I talked to you about this."
Mom: "Randy, I want you to come down now."
Me: "I have to do this exam." :mad:

My mom sighed and went back downstairs, but to my horror, I heard her laugh and announce to the guests: "Since you got here, my son, Randy, has been hiding in his room! He's too shy to come down." :confused:

In response, awkard laughter. And then 10 mins later, my mom returns. "Randy, if you don't come downstairs, then I'm going to bring all the professors up here."

Note: At this point, it would have been smart to just meet them. But I was very embarrassed by this time, and my room was an absolute disaster. I just explained that I was about to take a shower. My mom sighed and went downstairs. Again to my horror, she said: "Oh, as soon as Randy heard that all of you were coming upstairs, he jumped into the bath! I didn't know he was so shy." *uproarious laughter* Frankly, at this point I felt too humiliated to meet them.

For the next 5 minutes, my parents and the professors talked about how I was hiding in my room. When they were leaving, my mom said: "Sorry I couldn't get my kid to talk to all of you."

Anyway, this was pretty embarrassing. Any time I see those faculty on campus, it's going to be awkward. And forget about references. I'll have to approach the professors individually and give some kind of humorous explanation. Unfortunately, my mom does not realize why I need my privacy sometimes. I'm sure those professors think that I was being rude... I miss residence.
 
Epsilon88 said:
Hey guys,

Yesterday night was the worst evening that I've had in many years. Note: I am 8 years old.

..cut..

For the next 5 minutes, my parents and the professors talked about how I was hiding in my room. When they were leaving, my mom said: "Sorry I couldn't get my little boy to come downstairs." WTF? I'm 8 and 6 feet tall. :mad:
Click to expand...

Editted for accuracy. ;)
 
Epsilon88 said:
The worst part is, my mom simply does not GET why I feel embarrassed. I'm sure those professors think that I was being rude...
Click to expand...

Isn't the worst part that you yourself don't recognize that you were being rude, and not only rude but also too inept to make decisions in your own benefit or even recognize them when they're being made for you by others? :p
 
Armchair quarterback time.

You should have gone down after your mom pwned you the first time, and sucked it up. Better yet, directly corrected her with a joke like "Mom confuses shy with studying. Good thing I'M the one with exams". or just say you're taking an online exam. I'm sure they would have respected that. :)
 
anjinhamarota said:
Why didn't you just go down to explain to them that you were taking an online exam?
Click to expand...

I agree totally in doing the mature thing to greet them and excuse yourself and return back to your exam. No big deal really.
 
anjinhamarota said:
Why didn't you just go down to explain to them that you were taking an online exam?
Click to expand...

I guess reading this post, it's easy to think that I should have just gone downstairs and said hello. I referred to it partly in the original post, but I should've added more details about my physical state.

It had been a brutal week of little sleep running on Red Bull and coffee. I had (partly) lost my voice and looked like an unshaven drug addict. Now THAT would have made a good impression!
 
Epsilon88 said:
It had been a brutal week of no sleep. I looked like an unshaven drug addict.
Click to expand...

If they're professors they're used to students looking like that from time to time.

Still, you could have gone down and explained everything the first time your mom said you were upstairs, it would have made a much better impression.
 
Bit of advice to the OP.

Socialize then hide in your room.

its much more than acceptable in most settings to say hi, mingle then excuse yourself to tend your private matters.
 
Still think you need to grow up big time. Shower, shave, go say hello, make your excuses. That would have taken 15 minutes in total, got you brownie points with your parents, probably your profs, and you'd have been back to your exam.

Surely if you were fit enough to do an exam you were fit enough to go meet a few people?
 
I can't even count the number of times my parents do stuff like this to me

I know the feeling. I feel your pain lol
 
While you should have at least went and greeted them, your mom was still out of line. This is why living at home sucks. Get an apartment!
 
Unless you didn't know these Professors were coming over until they showed up, you've really got no excuse for poor planning. If you knew they were coming, you should have showered and shaved in advance. Those problems are your fault, not your mother's.

That said, I can understand getting annoyed like that when your parents make stupid jokes like that. :S
 
So you weren't well enough to go down to meet these people but were well enough to eavesdrop on the entire conversation. :rolleyes:
 
Epsilon88 said:
I guess reading this post, it's easy to think that I should have just gone downstairs and said hello. I referred to it partly in the original post, but I should've added more details about my physical state.

It had been a brutal week of little sleep running on Red Bull and coffee. I had (partly) lost my voice and looked like an unshaven drug addict. Now THAT would have made a good impression!
Click to expand...

I'd go down anyways, always excited to welcome guests, but if it's really bad, I would have shouted out to them "Hey guys I need to do something really quickly, I'll be right down" and do whatever.

You don't have to hang around talking to them, just maybe introduce yourself and talk for 5-10 mins then say "Hey its been really nice talking to you all tonight, but I've got some work to do, nice meeting you" then say good night and walk off

It's not as bad as being ranked 1 on Cod6 with a bad connection getting owned with higher ranked people calling you a noob... ;)
 
Demosthenes X said:
Unless you didn't know these Professors were coming over until they showed up, you've really got no excuse for poor planning. If you knew they were coming, you should have showered and shaved in advance. Those problems are your fault, not your mother's.

That said, I can understand getting annoyed like that when your parents make stupid jokes like that. :S
Click to expand...

i arrived home 10 min before they arrived... enough time to gather up snacks and cranberry juice. mmm...

rdowns said:
So you weren't well enough to go down to meet these people but were well enough to eavesdrop on the entire conversation. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

bedroom is directly above living room in a 90 yr old house.
 
Heh, I'm actually enjoying this thread tremendously. And I don't think there's anything wrong with sharing embarrassing stories... judging by the response to this thread, people have enjoyed it. Posters like savoirfaire should be quiet and do what I should've done that night: have a sense of humor and relax! ;)
 
Ok, I know that this isn't a competition - but I was in a way more embarrassing situation with basically the same type of crowd. And it worked out. My advice is to just pretend it didn't happen. You are not that important to their lives (and I don't mean that badly) that this will make a lasting impression. By next week they will have forgotten the episode - or if they haven't it will be the context of them forming an judgement about the pushiness of your mom. Really - one of the really big lessons in life is that if you just carry on with confidence, these events just go away. Everyone (including everyone at that table) has had a scenario they wish had never happened. The profs you will want to work with will cut you some slack.

My story. Same dinner party, except that there were a number of post-grad students as well (so younger than the full faculty members). I was 16, and had recently been given a Swiss Army Knife. So naturally I was keen to show off the cork screw, and was opening bottles of wine for the guests. I had a crush on one of my dad's students and with great suaveness I asked if I could "pop her cork". There was an immediate silence at the table. Dead silence. I looked around confused, with that "what did I say look" that teen age boys perfect. My mom took me out to the kitchen and explained the term... basically I just propositioned her in front of the dinner table ... My mom made me go out and apologize to the dinner party. I was not seen again that night, or any other dinner parties for a month. In my defense, I was a good kid and really did not know what I had said.

Eventually, I went to that same University, taking classes with some of those same profs, and never heard about that incident again.

Except from that cute grad student who is, more than 3 decades later, still a good friend of the family. Whenever I start getting full of myself, I get reminded about glass houses.

What will impress your profs, or not, is not that your mom embarrassed you but how you handle it. So put on your big boy or big girl panties and get on with your life.
 
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