Most Embarrassing Christmas Moment

 Written: Tuesday, December 14, 2010

It's only been just a year short of 25 years, but on this day I remember very well my most embarrassing Christmas-time disaster. I had gotten a babysitter and Steve and I went to a wonderful Church Christmas Party. It was for the Primary Teachers and leaders. I was still serving in the Primary Chorister position and was really loving my calling. I was still a bit nervous, but the children made it just wonderful for me. However, this is not one of those times.

Sister Lou Hunt was the Primary President and prepared a beautiful and lovely, Christmasy atmosphere with her husband Kevin. It was decorated, there was a full dinner that we all helped with, but it was done with perfection in organization. Lou and Kevin even had a beautiful Christmas Tree that was all aglow with shiny star-lights. Back in the day, specialty lights were hard to find. The place was glorious and the theme of the evening was to really have a "moving" experience that we all could fellowship with one another. But, most of all Sister Hunt wanted us to feel the joy of Christmas.

We decided to start with the dimming the lights. Not too dark, we could see everyone and the tree so amazing it filled the room with its bright Christmas lights. The program would start with me standing and leading us all in a song of Silent Night. The leadership just wanted me to start the singing and then sit-down and join in the sweet spirit of the song. I wanted it to be soft and lovely. I was relaxed and they wanted me positioned up to lead the singing. I was in front of the most beautiful tree, ever. The tree lights were so bright that they were warm on my back.

I was wearing... and my children can attest to the fact, that I always remember the dress I was wearing anytime, anywhere.

Some people remember moments from the smell, the aura, the time of day, me... it's my clothes. I was wearing a dress from my sister-in-law's wedding. Luana had bought for me a beautiful blue dress that was really gathered across the bodice and had several threads of red, blue, and silver woven in the fiber and ran-down through my long full dress. I wasn't thinking I was a princess or anything like my last post, but I really "loved" the dress.

I stood when Lou nodded at me to start. I rose slowly and reverently out of my rolling, comfy office-type chair and started with my hand, cupping to a small upbeat to start and a down to begin. We all came together and started singing the song, just as planned ... beautifully ♫♪¨*•♫♪ Silent night, holy night *•♫♪ All is Calm ...I slowly sank into my chair and it keep moving backward. I was still waving my arm..*•♫♪All is ... BINGO! I rolled into the stinkin' tree and it fell over on me. CRASH!
Picture me under and inside this tree with all it's branches in my hair, decorations all over, and the star between my legs and down to my ankles. Yes, ornaments busted.

I didn't just sit there with "tree" on my face, I had to lift my legs and do a full-on back-fall with my dress over my head. I'm so grateful for a very statically-charged slip. It took three men and a boy (actually another guy) to lift the tree off. People were still singing and singing. No smiles, no laughing ... and that would have been a good thing! I could have laughed, too. Instead, I saw shock looks and they were all still singing. My mind raced to what to do. I raised my hand and while I was up-righted in my chair, I continued leading the song, covered with pine needles, tinsel, and bulbs ...Yes, in my hair.  We STILL finished the song. No one said a word to me, at all! And each of their faces will be forever embedded in my mind for me to ponder 25 years later.

You know someone really missed their chance to hear the Bishop's wife say a bad word, out-loud by trying to make me laugh and saying, "I got a 8 mm movie of that whole thing!" Hilarious...and adding to the merriment by saying "Just kidding!" Okay, I'm going to try and use my "blogging catharsis" and "Get over it" Oh, the memories.

My view of everyone was hilarious! I think everyone was embarrassed for me. Later, I saw some
whispering here and there. I'm sure they were saying, "Susan always has to be the 'highlight' of the show." Oh, yeah. I wish "that moment" on everyone.