I will be the first to admit, I am a pretty awkward person. I am clumsy. I fumble words. Those are just a few characteristics I was able to think of off the top of my head, but I promise there are plenty more. I guess you could say I am bound to encounter awkward situations. And while most wouldn’t dare utter a word about these moments in their lives, instead choosing to take them to the grave, I figure what’s the harm in letting the world know?
Apparently, it’s good to be able to laugh at yourself and not take life too seriously. So here is just one out of my large catalog of awkward, embarrassing stories. Enjoy. Cringe. Don’t cringe. I don’t care. Just know, everyone has embarrassing stories locked up somewhere deep inside of them.
The "What kind of shampoo are you using?" story
In case you aren’t aware, in college, more often than not, you will have a communal shower. If you have the luxury of having your own shower in your room, I am very jealous of you and hope you understand what a privilege that is. Anyways, back to the story. It’s the night before the first day of classes for the second semester. Me, being the type of person who gets anxious at the idea of not being prepared, was already searching for all of the textbooks I would be needing as soon as professors released their syllabus. All of this textbook searching took a lot longer than I expected, and before I knew it, it was already midnight. Yes, it is possible to get caught up textbook shopping, I didn’t think it was possible either until it happened to me.
Realizing the time, I started to get ready to go to sleep. I am a night showerer, so I grabbed my shower stuff and got into a shower. I, being the paranoid and bizarre person I am, was worried that I would get a noise complaint about taking a shower so late. Thinking back now, I am not sure why this was a concern of mine since I had taken showers much later than this, but I guess at the moment, I was feeling extremely empathetic or something. So I was in the middle of shampooing my hair when all of the sudden someone walks in and shouts, “Who’s taking a shower right now?”
Now would probably be a good time to also mention that I am not that close to the people in my hall, and only really know my RA and roommate. I got super nervous because obviously, I did not want to anger people I didn’t even know. I replied, “Devon.” This person is now standing outside of my shower stall, and I am about to just run out of the bathroom, suds and all. She then proceeds to say, “I just have one thing to ask...,” in my mind, running out sounds like a really good idea “what type of shampoo or conditioner are you using? It smells so good in here.”
I initially didn’t even register what she has just asked, I was utterly confused. Shampoo? Smell? What? I fumbled for my shampoo container because to be quite honest, I don’t even know what shampoo I use, “Uh, it’s this rose-smelling kind from Herbal Essence.” She then thanked me and left the bathroom. So, yeah, if you happen to have nicely scented shower products, people may ask to find out what you are using, not shout at you for taking a shower at midnight.