An Embarrassing Moment

But not my Most embarrassing moment. That would be the time the new young doctor at Patients First walked into the exam room without knocking. I was naked. That was merely annoying. Then he looked up from the chart and screamed.

That seems funny now. The story of the green sock yarn still makes me cringe.

A Londoner, on an online knitting group, wanted moss green Lang Jawoll to make the zigzag socks I'd also been wanting to start on. The only source didn't ship to the UK. I was getting ready to go to England on vacation. I offered to get an extra skein when I made my order, and bring it to her. We agreed to meet outside the Victoria and Albert Museum and have lunch at the cafe.

I don't remember if I was under an unusual amount of personal stress during that time, or if it was just jet lag, which always affects me profoundly, no matter what remedy or prevention I attempt.

I started to cry into my tomato soup in the busy but relatively quiet museum cafe. Between choked sobs, I tried to apologize, but I just could not stop crying. The yarn recipient, being English, murmured soothing things, and acted like she always lunched with folks who kept handfuls of paper napkins pressed to their faces. The people around us took no notice, except for the discreet, momentary flicker of eyes our way.

There is a vague memory of being in the gift shop, and then I was striding down the street, taking deep breaths. I don't remember the lady's name, but she did pay me for the yarn, and gave me some of her handmade soap. Of course, I never heard from her again.

That was at least five years ago. I've finally started those socks.