Originally posted by skid:
It was my 16th birthday and my parents were taking me, along with my sister, out for dinner. We were going to Mr. Steak, a local steakhouse that I'd been to quite a few times and liked a lot.
Dinner was excellent, and shortly after we finished eating our waitress came to our table, followed by 3 or 4 other waiters/waitresses, one of which was carrying a birthday cake ablaze with candles.
She proceeded to announce, in a loud voice, so everyone in the restaurant was aware, that I was celebrating my birthday and would they please join in in singing happy birthday.
My family, the waiters, and several of the patrons, started singing and I turned beet red. I wanted to slump down in the booth, crawl under the table, and die!
I was very shy and didn't like the attention, at all! Teenagers often don't even want to be seen with their parents no less making a scene in a restaurant.
What could I do? I couldn't walk out...I just sat there and didn't say a word. When we got outside I let them know how embarrassed I was. Though their intentions were good, it didn't quite work out that way.
What about you? Any embarrassing moments you're willing to share?
Your parents wanted to give you a memorable birthday, and they succeeded. I think it was very nice of them to do what they did.
I had an embarrassing moment kinda along those lines, back when I was in college. The woman I was dating at the time happened to be a very creative practical joker, and one evening she suggested that we have dinner at a fairly ritzy (and pricey!) restaurant in town. Unbeknownst to me, she had informed the waiter that I was celebrating my birthday that day (it wasn't my birthday). At the conclusion of the meal, an entourage of waiters marched to our table, all singing "Happy Birthday" and one of them holding a small cake with a lit candle atop it.
That stunt caught me
completely by surprise. I didn't want to risk further embarrassment by telling the waiters that it really wasn't my birthday, so I just went along with it.
Oh well, at least we got a free cake out of it.