Just Another Stroll Down the Street

Imagine walking down a busy street in Rome.

The always busy street exiting from the Spanish Steps in Rome.

The tall, classically European buildings hover their upper level apartments over your head while the ground level is dedicated to everything commercial.  Store after store goes from phone dealer to clothier, pizzeria to coffee shop.  All the while, you are dodging the slower walkers in front of you like a game of Nintendo's Rad Racer avoiding cars.

During this exciting, real life adventure, you are with a friend or two, and they too are in the throws of the battle. Where you veer left, they must veer right, or they sneak tightly through a gap when you go around the moving object.  But when you get lost in friendly conversation, things can go awry. Laughter escapes your mouth and funny thoughts clog your mind. Right when you pass a clothing store entrance ... BAM!

"Oh my goodness, miss, are you OK?" You managed to stay on your feet.  The unlucky woman, however, fell hard to the ground. You don't wait for her to answer.

"I am so sorry!" You help the petite woman up from the ground, lifting her by the arm.

"I didn't see you at all!  I am so sorry!" So far she is speechless, likely fuming from being knocked over.

Then you look the mannequin in the face.

"Oh."

And the embarrassment sets in and you sneak glances around you to see if anyone saw the ordeal. Thank goodness! No one was watching... except the store manager.

Never ever has anyone looked at you more like a grumpy bulldog. Quickly averting the death stare, your face turned cherry red, you look at the mannequin, then the manager and quickly mutter, "Sorry," and walk away faster than you ever walked in known history.

This story was based on true events. Thankfully, it wasn't my true event, but a good friend of mine who lived out in Rome for a while. In any city, big or small, things like this can happen.

Have you ever done something embarrassing in public? Share your story.