Awkward Makeovers

So you know when you see someone you know that has changed their look dramatically. You don't know if it was on purpose or a mistake so you don't know how to approach them. You don't know whether or not you should laugh with them about it or compliment them on it. I had this experience recently when a girl in my ward dyed her hair orange. I thought maybe something had gone wrong in the hair dying process, but I was mistaken. Not only was the new hair on purpose, but she loved it. It can be difficult to know how to approach a situation like this. I find that when it is someone you are not very close to words like "interesting", "unique", and "original" come to mind. You don't want to really lie about how you feel but you also don't want to hurt their feelings. However, if it a close friend then you should say something if you really think that it looks terrible. Don't be too rude and say "That looks horrible" but rather approach the subject with a "It's not my favorite look on you." They should get the hint and fix whatever is wrong.

Awkward "Guess Who!" Game

So you know that "guess who!" game that people play when they go behind you and then cover your eyes and say "guess who!" Well, my friend fell victim to that situation this evening and it was even more awkward because it was a guy she wasn't very good friends with and one that could be described as a "creep." He came up behind her and put his hands on her eyes. She thought it was one of her close friends, a very natural instinct. However, when she reached her hands up to feel the person's face it was unfamiliar territory. It felt stubbly and she became extremely uncomfortable. A nauseous feeling overcame her as she came to realize the person who was touching her face. I hope all can learn from this story. If you are not sure whether it is appropriate to play this game, then don't. It is uncomfortable when you don't really know the person. I think a good rule of thumb is to at least know the person's middle name before you go about touching their face.

Awkward Homework Assignment

So you know when teachers think they are super hilarious so they give you ridiculous homework assignments? Well, one of my teachers (who shall remain anonymous) gave us one of these assignments this past week. He told us that we needed to buy something for a stranger (such as a "coke") and give it to them, then we needed to blog about it. Thus, this is my experience with this homework assignment.

I went to Smith's in Provo with this assignment on my mind. I decided gum would be a good decision because mostly everyone loves gum and it is inexpensive. I was going to give it to this little boy but I thought that his mother wouldn't appreciate a stranger giving candy to her child. So then I saw this girl when I was walking out. She was alone and she looked kind of sad. I walked over and gave her the gum explaining the situation to her. She looked a little creeped out but she smiled at me and said "thanks." So this is my awkward homework assignment story.

Awkward Bitterness

So you probably have that friend who is constantly complaining about how horrible their life is. Everything in their life is always going wrong. They never have anything happy to say, but you feel like you can't abandon this person who feels so depressed all the time. You know you need to be a good friend and listen to their problems. I have friend like this. She calls me all the time to tell me how nothing good ever happens to her. I usually try to be more optimistic when I am talking to her. I try to help her see the silver lining in tough situations and point out the things that are going well.

A few weeks ago, she was complaining about how horrible this semester was going to be for her. All her friends had boyfriends and so she would have no one to hang out with and nothing to do ever. I told her that this just gave her more time to come visit me in Provo (she goes to school at BYU-I). However, her bitterness got the best of her at this point. She went on to say how much she hated Provo and all the people there. She said they all think they are better than everyone else. I then reminded that I live in Provo and I'm not that way. And she was like, "Yeah, okay. Whatever." I didn't know how to respond to this awkward situation. I really just came to realize it is important to try to help your friends see the goodness in their lives, but you can only take so much hostility from a person. The best way to deal with it is to just leave it alone and wait for their next phone call.