I tell you what, I really don’t know what it is. I’m not sure how it happens, but it seems I’m always finding myself in another awkward situation.
Maybe it’s because I’m a little awkward myself — my mugshot associated with this column might speak for itself.
Awkward situations on campus seem to be almost unavoidable and I can’t be the only one experiencing them.
But seriously, it happens all the time, so much so, that my roommate most recently remarked, “Why do these things never happen to me?”
The situations range from me finding a drunk, naked kid who had somehow broken into my house and passed out on the couch in the middle of the night, to having to explain to a couple of farmers how and why my friends stole one of their hay bales and burnt it to the ground the night before.
However, the story I’m about to tell will be different — it’s one that, in the moment, seemed like another one of those typical awkward situations I seem to always find myself in. But after I had some time to look back and reflect upon it, had a neat little life lesson to it.
Life is represented by two separate, yet equally important groups. There are the people who cause awkward situations, and the people who experience these situations because of my own awkwardness. These are their stories.
(Insert Law & Order sound effect here)
I was riding my bike down Grand River Avenue when I was stopped by the light at Abbott Road.
As I was waiting for the walk sign to come on, an old man also riding his bike pulled up alongside me.
Normally in this situation, people avoid eye contact and don’t say a word to each other.
All over campus, this is the normal way to act. Do not acknowledge other humans unless forced.
It’s like when you get to a big lecture hall and everybody sits with a seat in between each other, sits in silence and Yik Yak, (of course an anonymous app) about each other.
But this guy must not know the general college social norms.
“Are you having fun?” he asked me.
“What do you mean?” my awkward self answered. I didn’t know what he meant. At the time, I think I was a little stressed out about something. So I don’t think I was necessarily having fun.
“Well, you’re alive aren’t you?” the man said. “And that’s fun, fun, fun!”
“Uhhh ... I guess,” I replied.
“Well, time to go!” the old man said and cut me off as the walk sign came on.
And just like that, he rode off. I’ll probably never see that guy again.
You know what, though? Think about it. The guy is right.
Thank you, random old guy riding his bicycle down Grand River Avenue.
The lesson here is you will experience these weird, awkward situations during all aspects of campus life, but the easiest way to deal with them is embrace it.
Welcome the weirdness because it’s one of the best parts of being in college.
