Recently, I was having dinner out with two of my long time, childhood buddies, Diane and Joanne. I had a large bowl of saimin (I know. I know. It is a lot of carbs, but I didn't eat all of it.) with extra garnishes meaning extra choi sum veggies, fish cake, etc.
When we were done eating and chatting, Joanne who was sitting across from me said, "I didn't want to say anything, but I know that when you get home you'll see it and wonder why I didn't say anything. I hope you don't mind me saying it. I don't want to embarrass you... but I think you'd want me to tell you..."
My eyes were getting bigger and bigger wondering what horrible thing she was going to tell me.
"Ummmmm"... she sighed. "You have a piece of the choi sum stuck to the side of your teeth."
I laughed and took a drink of iced tea and cleared my teeth. Phew!
It's really good to have friends who are willing to tell you these things. I might have walked out smiling at people with green spinach like strands glaring out of my mouth.
I remember once standing behind a woman who had a long sheet of toilet paper dangling out of her pants. Art and I looked at each other wondering what we should do.
I finally told her and she was so relieved. Embarrassed, yes, but relieved.
There was one time I was talking to my principal and he had a booger hanging out of one nostril. I couldn't stop looking at it but I couldn't tell him either.
Thank goodness most of my friends are willing to tell me. I have a little numbness on the bottom right side of my face so I always count on Art to keep a look out for me. However, if Art is not around, it's good to have friends watching my back... and front.
Have you had those moments when you should have said something, but didn't?
When we were done eating and chatting, Joanne who was sitting across from me said, "I didn't want to say anything, but I know that when you get home you'll see it and wonder why I didn't say anything. I hope you don't mind me saying it. I don't want to embarrass you... but I think you'd want me to tell you..."
My eyes were getting bigger and bigger wondering what horrible thing she was going to tell me.
"Ummmmm"... she sighed. "You have a piece of the choi sum stuck to the side of your teeth."
I laughed and took a drink of iced tea and cleared my teeth. Phew!
I remember once standing behind a woman who had a long sheet of toilet paper dangling out of her pants. Art and I looked at each other wondering what we should do.
I finally told her and she was so relieved. Embarrassed, yes, but relieved.
There was one time I was talking to my principal and he had a booger hanging out of one nostril. I couldn't stop looking at it but I couldn't tell him either.
Thank goodness most of my friends are willing to tell me. I have a little numbness on the bottom right side of my face so I always count on Art to keep a look out for me. However, if Art is not around, it's good to have friends watching my back... and front.
Have you had those moments when you should have said something, but didn't?
I have a coffee mug that says "A good friend is someone who will tell you when you have gunk in your teeth" and the friend who gave the mug to me would.
ReplyDeleteOne evening at the bank where I worked I noticed the customers were unusually kind to me and smiled a lot. Little did I know it was a sympathy smile. Looking in a mirror before heading home I noticed I was wearing an ink mustache much like Hitler's and no one told me. My coworkers found it hilarious.
Oh grief! And your co-workers didn't tell you? It was still nice to get some consoling smiles though.
DeleteFriends gotta talk about something new every once in a while. Had this guy at work, the girlfriend put lipstick on him before he got up, but for that occcasion nobody said anything out loud.
ReplyDeleteToo funny!
DeleteKay you gave me a morning laugh particularly with that story of the principal! I've given people a 'heads up' from time to time, but you're right, there are times when you just 'let it go unsaid'. One problem that comes to mind is when someone has terrible body odour, say at the gym. I've never said anything but it can be a real problem when it occurs.
ReplyDeleteWhoa... body odor would be a HARD thing to tell, hunh. I've never said anything, but seems like that is one thing that the person should be made aware of.
DeleteThe toilet paper thing would have been cruel to say nothing about. Your friends did the right thing, too, but it's something that happens to all of us. Many times someone has told me I had something in my teeth, and I've always told other people. It's a fairly common occurrence.
ReplyDeleteSince I was once that person trailing the toilet paper (yes, really) I am all in favor of giving people a heads-up about something that could be embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteYes, a friend was standing over me and my desk and I saw a booger in one of her nostrils. It was so disgusting, but I did not tell her.
ReplyDeleteOh, perhaps you would have eaten the green and it would have gone away easily, but toilet paper or boogers are really embarrassing things. :) Makes me shudder.
ReplyDeletehonesty hurts sometimes-it depends on how good of friends you are...lol!
ReplyDeleteYou do write about the most interesting things!
ReplyDeleteAh, now I know why I don't eat green things.
ReplyDeleteActually, I wear dentures, and can't feel when something is stuck to the front of my teeth, but I sure can tell when something like a sesame seed gets under one of the dental plates. Ouch. If I'm out, I have to go to the ladies' room, wait until no one else is there, then rinse my dental plate under the tap.
And you do write about the most interesting things. LOL
K
In my family we surreptitiously point to the area of the offending spot on our own face. The other person picks up the message and gets rid of the food on their face. No words are spoken. It seems to work.
ReplyDeleteIn general, if you are having a very important lunch, avoid spinach. It always seems to stick to the teeth.
Art does the pointing thing for me which always works. And what is it with spinach? Choi sum too!
DeleteMuch to my shame, I have neglected to point out to a stranger (woman in white jeans) that the seat of her pants was bloodied (how could she not know her period had started?), and that an acquaintance had a tear up the rear seam of her bike shorts. I simply don't know what to say, but in hindsight, I realize that I should have.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the pants tear and regret not saying anything now. The bloodied pants, though... gosh... if it's not somebody I know, I can see why it would be embarrassing to tell.
DeleteYes, I think it is the kind thing to tell someone. Sometimes, it is hard to do, but we get outside ourselves and do what is right when we tell someone that things are amiss. I once walked across the airport, yes, clear across the airport, with my skirt tucked up in my pantyhose. EMBARRASSING! I saw people looking at me. I just didn't know why. Finally, a friend, who just happened to be at the same airport saw me, went out of her way to catch up with me, and told me.
ReplyDeleteI remember noticing a colleague had not yet zipped up his pants after using the bathroom. He was getting ready to go into class. I decided that even though it was embarrassing to tell him what was going on, I just couldn't let him go in front of a bunch of 7th graders with his pants unzipped! I said, "XYZ." Thank heavens, he got the message: Examine your zipper. He was grateful I gave him the message.
Tell me about it! The traditional warning signal is to say "It's one o'clock in the zipper factory."
DeleteOne o'clock in the zipper factory? Now that's a new one for me.
DeleteI think I've heard the XYZ, but I'm so clueless sometimes that it might fly right over my head. Good for you, Sally. That was very kind.
LOL!
ReplyDeleteWarm Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
~ > < } } ( ° >
> < 3 3 3 ( ' >
><}}(°> ~
Recently I came out of a restaurant restroom and I had a piece of toilet paper stuck to my shoe. I woman told me before I got very far. I really appreciated it. But it is not always easy to do. It depends on what and who.
ReplyDelete