Mortifying Moments That Make Me Laugh

By tamara

I can still hear the entire high school student body roaring with laughter. They pointed and laughed while I darted across the gymnasium floor looking for a safe haven to hide. Everything had been going so well up to that point. Lisa and I had spent hours working on our mummy costumes for the senior homecoming skit. We had our head masks on and our bodies were completely wrapped in bandages. As the Bangles song ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ played, we danced across the gymnasium floor. Then, it started to feel a bit drafty. Before I knew it, all the bandages had fallen to the floor. I was left standing there in my underwear and a mask! This was one of those moments when your mother’s voice pops into your head, and you can hear her saying, ‘Honey, be sure to wear clean underwear.’ Thank goodness I had listened to her. To this day, my friends still refer to me as the student most likely to lose her clothes. I can laugh about it now, but I was mortified at the time.

We’ve all had one of those moments we’d love to forget; something that made us cringe with embarrassment or shame. And with today’s technology, that shame can be shared with millions of people in minutes. Like Miss South Carolina’s answer about why some Americans cannot locate the U.S. on a world map (poor girl) or that uncomfortable moment when Kanye West ruined Taylor Swift’s Video Music Awards speech (what was he thinking?). We may share a laugh or two at their expense, but on the inside, we are just thankful it wasn’t us.

Although I never became famous or landed a spot on the ‘Today’ show to relive my shame with Matt Lauer, I recently came across an opportunity to benefit from my misfortune. It may be hard to believe, but you can share your most humorous or embarrassing moment for a chance to win $1,000 for college. It’s called the Make Me Laugh Scholarship. Unlike the more traditional scholarship competitions, where you have to brag about all your accomplishments or try to make the scholarship committee feel sorry for you, this contest merely requires you to make the judges laugh. And here’s the best part – it doesn’t even have to be your embarrassing moment! You can simply make something up or get inspiration from something that may have happened to a friend or family member. So, if you have something more humorous or embarrassing than standing half-naked in front of your entire school, bring it on!  I dare YOU to Make Me Laugh!