Yummy....feet?

When I was in high school I was terribly afraid of public speaking. I was terrible at it. It came to the point where I either had to fix the fear or start bringing a paper bag. I chose to work on becoming a better speaker. I enrolled into two clubs: Speech and Mock trial. Between the two I finally became a decent speaker and I increased my vocabulary significantly because elegant words came easier. In Mock trial I learned of the importance of saying what you mean and realizing the ways your sentences and phrases can be misunderstood or misinterpreted. In other words, beware of double meanings. I thought I had learned my lesson. Not so.

Tonight I graced myself with a beautiful foot in mouth situation. Yup, a nice, yummy, chewy foot. Since I arrived in Boise to do my internship I have attended a local singles Family Home Evening (FHE) every monday night. This last Friday there was a party with the same group. While I was there a girl walked in somewhat late. Many at the party addressed her by a nickname I can only assume was meant in a derogatory context. For sake of making this experience unpersonalized we will say that name was "Bob".

This evening for an activity we were playing ultimate frisbee. Said girl was not playing but the frisbee almost hit her several times. Trying to be polite I wanted to tell her to duck down but I didn't know her real name. I tried on several occasions to get her attention so I could figure out her real name. I even asked around a little bit, but to no avail. Near the end of the night I finally got her attention. "Hey, what's your name so I don't have to call you "Bob"?", I asked. Oops, how did that slip out? What's your name would have been sufficient. Disgrace flushed her face and she immediately walked out of the building. Unfortunately some in attendance must have known the punch line because laughter and ooooooos filled the room. Let me tell you, feet do not taste good, so don't put them in your mouth. On a happier note I finally found out what her name was, though she will probably never show her face, and if she does she will avoid me at all costs. So to "Bob", sorry I'll never say it again.