Other Embarrassing Stories

Unlike Carlyn, I do not have any embarrassing stories.. but I laughed very hard at hers! >.<

Well, truth be told, I have an embarrassing confession to make, and even an embarrassing story of sorts.  Carlyn may have heard my story before... I heard her drink spilling story before.  I find Carlyn's dexterity to be one of her most endearing traits.  ;)

As a confession, I must admit that some 5 or 6 years ago now as any single bachelor bear would understandably do, I enjoyed watching America's Next Top Model and Project Runway.   Not only that but I was a HUGE Laguna Beach fan.  My roommate (also a guy) and I used to rock out and do a "rain dance" to the opening song for Laguna Beach, Come Clean, a delightful diddy by the multi-talented Hilary Duff.  Come Clean by Hilary Duff it's a very manly song that's easy for guys to rock out to.

My story involes the disaster that was to be my "demonstration speech" for my college (undergraduate studies) speech class.  I wanted to do a demostration speech about how to play the cello.  Mind you I was quite a good cello player in high school, but had not picked up a cello in two years before my junior year of college.  I'm not really a great "reader" of music, but once I've played for a while, I play well by ear and repetition.  So I was not in peak performance form by my Junior year Speech class.

I asked my instructor if I should prepare a piece to play before the class, and she told me NO.. that I should really only show people the basics of playing the cello so that they could understand the parts of the instrument and basic music theory.  As a performer in the school's orchestra, the School President was my stand partner (he decided to take up cello as a man in his 60s).   I planned with the School President for him to make a special appearance during my speech when I said a "code word".. he would then ENTER the room and bring the much desired comic relief I was hoping to add to my speech. 

Everything went fine with explaining the parts of the cello and basic music theory, but when I said my "code word" for the school's president to enter.. nothing happened.  I calmly repeated what I had said... a bit louder.. and still.. nothing.... So now I had to embarrisingly stop in the middle of the speech.. leave the room and get the school's President to enter (he was wandering around the hall outside the classroom not really paying attention to my speech).  If that weren't bad enough, right when I was about to wrap up my speech.. what does the class instructor say...????

"JON!  Why don't you play something for us?"  Now... inside... I was BOILING at this, and I was flushed with both anger AND embarrassment I'm sure.  I had of course, not prepared anything, ON THE SUGGESTION that I not by my instructor who was now selling me out.  I didn't want to play something I was going to mess up.. so I tried to explain that I would play something SIMPLE to reflect what a beginner would be taught when first playing the cello.  I preceeded to play..  MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB (probably the first song I learned) on the cello.  I don't think I've ever felt more embarrassed in my life.  Later students who demonstrated instruments played more advanced tunes.. furthering my embarrassment.

There have been other moments, but that is the one that sticks out.. foremost in my mind.