I wanted to get out of the house for Memorial Day. My niece Andrea has been staying with me for about two weeks. Andrea and my sister Miriam and her little boy all joined us at the park. We were able to visit a little while all the kids played. When everyone began getting hungry and thirsty we loaded up and drove to the near by In-N-Out.
By the time we walked in I was completely frazzled. The kids were running all over the place. I thought I should take them to find tables. Grabbing the hand of the child nearest to me with one hand and swinging Bobby around in his car seat with the other I half shouted to Jason, “You’re ordering for all of us right? We’ll just go sit down.” He looked at me kind of strange. Right about then several men walked in behind us. One of the men said something to me and laughed. I had no idea what he had said so I asked him to repeat it. He said it again and then the other two men laughed. That’s when I noticed one of the guys looked familiar. “Oh hi!” I said to them all still not catching on to their joke or what ever was funny.
I got everyone situated and firmly planted on chairs. Whew. I took a deep breath. Then I looked at Andrea who was sitting in front of me and said, more loudly than I intended, “I have absolutely no idea what those men were saying to me. Do you?” Then out of the corner of my eye I realized that one of the men was sitting right in front of me. I wanted to crawl into a very deep hole! So embarrassing! I looked up and saw my husband talking to the other two. Then it hit me. I knew exactly who these people were. Of course. They go to our church and while I’ve talked to them before, I’m much more familiar with the women of the family who unfortunately for me happened not to be present on this day.

I ran into my best friend from high school one year after graduating and had NO IDEA who she was. I’m not sure why I couldn’t place her face. So embarrassing!
Oh my gosh that is hilarious, Esther!
I know the feeling. . . being so distracted that you didn’t recognize them, not hearing exactly what they said, and saying the wrong thing too loud. They probably didn’t blame you.
Oh I would totally do that Esther!! No doubt about it! LOL we are so alike it cracks me up!
Kids have a way of distracting us, don’t they?
I’d have totally missed what they had said, too. And, knowing me would have just smiled, laughed with them, and done what you had – asked my daughter what they said.
Don’t worry, Esther. At least you didn’t grab someone else’s child by the hand.