By Vicki Scott
This past Thursday, the Reeltown Seniors and Junior Seniors visited the Bible Museum in Lagrange, Georgia. We rode together in the church van, which provided time for us to fellowship and learn more about each other.
Our pastor introduced a game where he would ask us a question and we could ask him one in return. He asked anything from how couples met to what was one’s favorite 100 mph song. I did not understand the latter question until the pastor explained that if we were traveling at 100 miles per hour, which song would we like to be playing as we rode. “Born to be Wild,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “On the Road Again” were a few titles that were mentioned during the game. Then came my question of what was one’s most embarrassing moment. I’ve experienced so many embarrassing moments, so it was hard to for me choose just one.
I was at an awkward age while I was in the eighth grade. I was a new student at a big school and wanted to be cool, and the kids I thought were cool wore Candie’s high heel shoes. So I saved up and brought a pair that I wore to school. The whole eighth grade, which consisted of around 200 students, ate lunch in the same lunchroom at the same time Monday thru Friday. I paid for my plate, walked to a table and sat down. One the way down, however, I slipped and fell, slinging the food forward off my plate onto the floor in the process. I quickly got up and hurried to find a place to sit down with my empty plate.
Once I found a place to sit and settle in, I calmed down. I had just managed to gather my composure when our school counselor got on the lunchroom microphone and demanded that the person who made the mess in the floor come back and clean it up. So, I had to make the Walk of Shame in front of God and everybody back to the scene of the spill. Of course, everyone on the van enjoyed a laugh at my expense.
At the Bible Museum, a tour guide shared different accounts of ancient biblical history. While we enjoyed the artifacts, my brother texted me on my watch with the good news that his wife was able to go home from the hospital, where for 11 days she was treated for stage IV lung cancer. I showed my husband Alan the text, and he whispered, “Good.”
At that moment, the tour guide asked me if she was taking up too much time talking. I told her “no.” I was going to try to explain why but I did not want to take any more time from our tour. I told the guide that her I would tell her later. My pastor asked me if the long-ago lunchroom incident was still my most embarrassing moment. I said “yes” but that this was a close second.
After the tour, I apologized for being rude by looking at my watch and talking while she was speaking to the group. She then apologized to me for calling me out. It turned out that she was a teacher. I was a teacher as well, and it is in our blood to expect people to pay attention. The tour guide was nice and did a very good job explaining the artifacts on display. She did not realize that my watch received texts and thought that I was discussing something else while she was conducting the tour.
The fellowship continued on the way back to the church. With so many of us having family members who were born and raised in Reeltown, we talked about the history of the city. Even through embarrassing moments, we know we are better together.