(i'm in the YW presidency. have i told you that?)
anyways.
what comes to your mind when you think of Youth Conference?
i think of embarrassing moments.
for the youth.
like, tripping in front of a cute boy.
or spilling syrup on your shirt at breakfast...and everyone's looking.
you get my drift.
but wait.
Youth Conference wasn't embarrassing for my Youth. no. not at all.
Youth Conference = embarrassing moments for yours truly (i know, you're shocked).
2 moments come to mind
#1 we arrive with our youth after the amazing fireside given by John Bytheway (it rocked) to the huge dance party (stake dances...think "lady in red," "streets with no name," "electric slide," and "YMCA"). conveniently located all throughout the dance hall were trays with cookies. mmmmm. cookies. so, naturally, yours truly approaches a cookie tray. no sooner than i had put my mouth around one of those cookies did a lady come up to me and ask:
"are you from the "blah-blah-blah ward" (i don't remember the ward she said)....
i pull the cookie away from my mouth.
"nooooo...."
in a VERY condescending tone, she replied,
"these cookies are for OUR youth, sweetie."
she obviously thought i was one of the youth..
now, remember, i had just put the cookie in my mouth....but i gestured to give her the cookie back because i didn't know what to do.
she then said, "um, honey, you just put that cookie in your mouth. you finish it now." .she proceeded to watch me eat the ENTIRE cookie. it was the most unenjoyable 150 calories i have ever consumed in my life. and humiliating.
#2 (the most embarrassing) no more than 10 minutes after the embarrassing cookie incident did the following occur:
i was standing by some of our young women...chit-chatting, dancing, having a good ol time. well, the DJ apparently gave the challenge for everyone in the room to be dancing. i didnt know that. (the rest of the scenario is kind of fuzzy...i'm trying to block it out from my memory). a young boy...wearing glasses (i don't remember anything else about him) approached me....my heart sank...and asked the dreaded question: "would you like to dance?"
in the same instance, dozens of thoughts buzzed through my mind. how does he not know i've had a baby...which means i "know" a man...which means i'm married...which means i'm taken..which means NO, i cannot dance with you...man, i'm parched....are there any drinks around here? oh yeah, nazi cookie lady is guarding the drinks and the cookies.....
and then finally i responded to that poor boy.
i nervously and awkwardly held up my hand to show him my ring and shakily said, "i'm a leader!" and i literally ran away. didn't walk. didn't skip. RAN.
a 15 year old boy thought i was ..... 15. ish. how embarrassing.
despite these 2 embarrassing incidents...and despite the crazy feeling i had leaving my sweet Ellie behind for a whole night for the first time, Youth Conference was a wonderful, memorable experience. so glad i went.
p.s. here's a pic from the Youth Conference....just MOMENTS before the dance. do i look like i'm 15? ish? what can i do to remedy this situation??
15 comments:
ha ha ha all I can say is I feel your pain. I look like I'm twelve : )
I am laughing so hard.
Oh that poor boy. I'm thinking he'll probably need therapy for months, no more like years because a hot mama like yourself turned him down at a stake dance.... ha ha ha. I probably shouldn't find this so funny.
For the record, I think you look at least 18 ;)
I have the same problem with being told I look like I'm in high school. I have no solution. But my mom says it will work for me when I'm older (like 50-60) and people think I'm in my 40's. So make it work for you while you can, I guess.
PS - what is up with the cookie Nazi? I have never heard of anyone being so rude over COOKIES! Goodness.
Ok, i'm sorry but I found that post hilarious. I love the way you tell your stories. I'm so sorry for those ebmarassing moments. I think you are darling. You are just so tiny and short, that people probably don't take a closer look to realize you are older.
Ah! hahahahaha! I l0ved hearing this story when you called!~ It's the best! I agree. Cookie lady needs to take a course on manners! I mean really! That is ridiculous!
I should invite her into my NURSERY and sit in to the wonderful lessons on " SHARING"! Hummm!
Ok. So you do look young... but not 15! I think you should make yourself a fun sign for the next YOUTH conference that says: I may look 15.... but.... ( you fill in the blank)
I am glad you had fun. You will not forget this youth conference!
I love you! Now, go get some wrinkles! hahahahaha
Oh my gosh, Marce... that is hilarious. I love it.
Don't worry, last summer at Youth Conference I was mistaken for a youth by several leaders and was also hit on by a boy, but he was seventeen. Oh and my husband was there.
I say ENJOY being mistaken for a young woman now because before you know it you'll wish you could be mistaken for one of the youth. RaeAnn
I forgot to mention:
Do you remember when one of Sean's baseball buddies thought I was DAD's MOM? Humiliating. But... Dad got laughs for years! and still going!
By the way... the word verification spells a really bad word in spanish! I can't believe I have to write it to post this! Love ya that much though.
You are too cute! I wish I looked like I was 15! Those girls are lucky to have you with them.
Love.
sorry you were embarrassed- but thanks for the laughs! And don't worry, I was mistaken for a yw when I was in the presidency too. And one of the girls really didn't like me for a very long time- until she found out I was a leader and not a yw. Good times!
But mostly- I was remembering our good ole' ym/yw group adventures. How cool was our ward?! I LOVED it! Those are great memories to look back on!
You just crack me right up!
Thank you so much for this post...it is so refreshing to know that these things happen to other people besides just me! In California I was a leader at girls camp and at a "leader meeting" a lady from another ward thought that I was a youth trying to sneak in! But I agree with 'Megs'...it will only suck for a few more years and then you'll be lovin it when your friends have wrinkles and age spots and you look fresh as a daisy!
hahaha! K, that was so fun.. but I have to say, in this picture Chelsea KILLS me! Check her out in all her 'peace-ness'! haha. And yes, sharing these moments with you gives me great pleasure! May many more embarrasing moments be shared between friends! :-)
Ugh, stuff like this happens to me all the time. We're both little and short and we have these CHEEKS :)
This weekend I was at a fancy 21+ gala, and I was all dressed up in a silky new dress, complete with great heels and vintage jewelry. I strolled in feeling like Audrey Hepburn and struck up a conversation with a friend of mine. Within minutes an older woman leaned over and said, "You don't look old enough to be here!" I smiled and said, "Oh, I am. You can check my driver's license if you want." She looked taken aback and said, "Honey, it was a compliment!" Like telling me I looked like a teenager at a charity benefit was at all appropriate or adult-like of her.
I get this all the time. It doesn't feel like a compliment. It's rude and awkward and condescending, and when it comes from certain people (older ladies especially) it can feel downright passive aggressive. But there is really no right way to respond. You can't very well say, "well, gosh, you look so much OLDER than you really are!" So you just have to smile and deal with it - and maybe buy higher heels next time ;) And know that you are among the amazing class of women who do not look like they've ever had a baby, which is admittedly super awesome.
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