Life Is Hard When You’re Awkward
Being socially clumsy is quite the challenge
The natural ability to make people uncomfortable is a difficult one to figure out — where does it come from, what causes it, is it curable? While we continue to search for answers, I and many others suffer on a daily basis from the symptoms of chronic awkwardness.
They say, “You never know a man until you walk a mile in his shoes.” Well, if you’re walking around as me, you’ll probably frequently end up walking towards a stranger who also happens to be walking towards you; then make a slight turn to the right to navigate around them, just as they turn in the same direction; and then cut a little to the opposite side, just as they do that too; until you all but run into them, then apologize, shoot them your most gracious smile, and go on about your day haunted by the memory of what transpired.
With an ineptitude for making small talk that deserves to be studied, it’s almost impressive how quickly I can force even the most fluid conversationalist into an awkward silence if we’re left alone together. I live in fear of when my sister goes to the bathroom, and I’m left to chat with my brother-in-law. Or when I’m approached by a friendly stranger at a bar, and we’re casually trapped next to each other after the first interaction, quietly wondering if we’re supposed to…
