2024 Personal Essay Writing Challenge: Day 6
It’s time for the penultimate prompt of this challenge. Tomorrow’s should be a bit of a layup, but today’s may be one of the more difficult, though it may also lead to some of the best essays of the challenge.
For today’s prompt, write an embarrassing moment essay. One of my favorite things about this personal essay challenge, as well as one of the most challenging things, is how each essay asks me to open up about myself. I’ve done it better with some essays than others, but for this prompt, I’m really asking writers to get vulnerable and share an embarrassing moment in an essay.
And yes, as always, it’s totally fine if you’re unable to share in the comments. This challenge is about getting you to write. The sharing can happen when you’re ready for it.
Remember: These prompts are springboards to creativity. Use them to expand your possibilities, not limit them.
Note on commenting: If you wish to comment on the site, go to Disqus to create a free new account, verify your account on this site below (one-time thing), and then comment away. It’s free, easy, and the comments (for the most part) don’t require manual approval.
*****
Completely separate of this fun and free personal essay challenge, be sure to check out the annual Writer’s Digest Personal Essay Awards. The top prize is $2,500 cash, publication in Writer’s Digest, and more.
*****
Here’s my attempt at an Embarrassing Moment personal essay:
“We Run This Town,” by Robert Lee Brewer
I’ve long been self-conscious of my appearance, especially my clothes and weight. I believe part of this stems from a childhood in which I was not self-conscious at all. I would wear incredibly weird clothing and make very odd style choices without realizing I was being different. And, of course, there came a time when being different was suddenly called out by people who were suddenly very interested in being cool.
For better or worse, I’ve learned over time to self-censor my wardrobe. I try to avoid wearing certain clothes for signals they might send. And, as a true INFJ on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test, I prefer to not call attention to myself as a person or to my appearance.
My introversion is why I love the U-scan lanes at grocery and department stores. I don’t have to come up with small talk while getting my items scanned and making payment. I can quietly scan and pay on my own. It’s a beautiful thing. Or it was.
But let me back up and explain how I love supporting the endeavors of my children. When they have fund raisers, I like to help them along, including buying silly overpriced cups and discount cards that I never end up using. And when they do sports, I like to purchase shirts and/or hats to show my support for them.
My daughter does softball and swimming, so I’ve got t-shirts to support her team in both activities. My boys have done Scouts, and I’ve got t-shirts to support them with that. My oldest son did cross country and track, and I’ve got shirts for both of those, including a cross country shirt that had his high school on the front and a short quote on the back: We Run This Town.
It’s a cute phrase with a double meaning that they have a lot of self-confidence in their worth within the town, and they literally run miles upon miles in their town. As a person who appreciates language, I found it humorous, if a bit cocky.
So there I am at the U-scan trying to get a few groceries when the person who usually monitors the area without comment decides to walk up to me and say, “Nice shirt.” Not expecting conversation in U-scan, I took a moment to realize she was talking to me and said, “Thank you,” my face flushing red.
As I gathered my bags and started to make my way to the door, she said, “Hey, wait a second. Can you turn around?”
Smiling and not sure what she wanted, I turned to face her. Then, she called out to one of the cashiers in a nearby lane, “Hey, look at his shirt.” In a split second, my crimson face started to go ultra-rouge as she was calling even more attention to me. Then, she said, “I don’t think so.”
Now, my weight fluctuates from time to time, and I was definitely on the heavier side at the time, though even at my heaviest, I still usually run a few road races each year. But those are just facts, and the last thing I wanted to do at that moment was debate facts. I just sheepishly smiled and slinked out of the store. I was so embarrassed. I’m still embarrassed. And the embarrassment compounds, because I get embarrassed that I felt embarrassed.
Even to this day, years later, when I see that particular person working at the grocery store, I feel embarrassed. And you can bet that I always make sure not to wear that t-shirt on days when I think there’s a good chance I might go to the grocery. Did I mention that my embarrassment about this makes me feel embarrassed? Guess the color of my face right now.
Still, I know this about myself, and I won’t pretend to have some kind of deep sage advice related to it. Maybe I should just get over myself, but I feel like this type of reaction is hardwired, like how I experience vertigo in certain situations involving heights and open spaces. I am who I am, and maybe someday I’ll be able to fully accept that, even when people call attention to it.