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A non-comprehensive list of things that made me cringe in childhood

    The question “Will you be my friend” from another child

    Mi Kyung’s long chin hairs that protruded from her neck (poor thing)

    The long dark hairs that protruded from my small arms (poor thing)

    Adults clapping in time, in unison, to anything

    A/V club

    My parents dancing (any of them)

    Blind playdates

    The phrase “Pee-you!” when uttered by our cleaning lady

    Surprise Christian praying before dinner at a friend’s house

    Lapidary club

    He Man’s Hairdo

    Katy’s ballet moves when we were only doing jazz

    Scoliosis day in gym class

    Vanessa Huxtable

    When Rudy-got-too-old Huxtable

    Adults who asked if you had to “make pee pee”

    When my voice teacher made me feel her big diaphragm

    When my voice teacher made me change the words “Gin and Vermouth” from an old standard due to her religious beliefs.

    When I quit lessons and my voice teacher blamed my broken home (WHU? But I have TWO of EVERYTHING!!)

    When Laura Ingalls asked if she could call Almonzo “Manly”

    0 thoughts on “A non-comprehensive list of things that made me cringe in childhood”

    2. Beth

      All of the above and then add in:

      Attending physical therapy for scoliosis and having to sit in a hot tub with 2 older ladies who were naked.

      Yeah. That one burned an image.

    4. lisa

      I never mastered #1 nor do I do it today.

      My awkward…during my SIL’s wedding, the wedding party had to go up and take communion and I didn’t open my mouth. (he,he,he)

    6. IB

      I always assumed “scoliosis day” was a chick thing because the guys never heard a word about it. For years I thought it had to do with menstrual cycles.

    10. Sprite's Keeper

      The praying before dinner. Definitely. I still have a few awkward moments when my in-laws do it, or even my husband who does it when he’s around them but never before we eat in private. Uh huh…

    12. Baglady

      Two things.

      WTF is scoliosis day?

      You’re so right about the Huxtables. I always wanted to be Denise or a female Theo but I fear I was Vanessa. Harrumph.

    14. Suzy

      i HAVE scoliosis and it’s the reason I’ve had so many surgeries. Boss O Everthing has it too. I feel like the only black kid in an all-white school. But when I was in school, we didnt single out the kids. Boys don’t get it. I hate you.

    15. MereCat

      “Manly” ewww. The first thing that comes to mind for me is my kindergarten teacher who was a close-talker. Her breath stunk and she talked to me like I was two instead of the immature five that I was.

    16. JD at I Do Things

      Huh. Like some of the above commenters, I, too, have scoliosis, but I don’t ever remember a scoliosis day. But I’m perhaps a little older than everyone here.

      I love the “Surprise Christian praying.” That happened to me (I was raised Christian-ish but we never actually prayed), and it totally ruined my meal because I thought maybe I was supposed to say something, and I didn’t. Wow, my face is getting all red and hot just thinking about it. Damn prayers!

    18. Not The Rockefellers

      Yes! That Almonzo “manly” thing make me shudder!
      And that fookin’ scoliosis day…

      Nowadays it’s the “chick who grabs my hands when she talks to me” at school. Both of them, Ann, she grabs both of them, I don’t have a “safe” hand.And where do you look? I look down at my hands being held captive. Does she want me to gaze into her eyes? What is this? A Jane Austen novel? I now put my hands behind my back when I see her coming down the hall.

      Peace – Rene

    24. mannequin

      Oh my gosh. “Will you be my friend?” always sent me in a gallop. Those people were too darn needy for my likes.
      One time as an adult, I had a woman in the apartment building ask me that very question. I felt sorry for her but that darn sorry.

    25. Kate Coveny Hood

      I think any hint of my parents having a sex life would be at the top of my list.

      The praying thing didn’t phase me since I went to Catholic school – but it was always so perfunctory that I barely registered it. I cringed at the houses where they held hands. The sign of peace in mass is one thing – but holding hands in a circle is just five inches away from a seance if you ask me…

    27. Spencer L Casey

      I’m right there with you Ann,

      “Surprise Christian praying before dinner at a friend’s house” and “Scoliosis day in gym class”

      Now when I first read this, “When my voice teacher made me feel her big diaphragm” I know you know what I thought. Nuff said.

      And here: “When Laura Ingalls asked if she could call Almonzo “Manly”” I thought that was Manny. Maybe not. My daughter is reading the series right now and she just mentioned this yesterday.

      Weird that you wrote this because I didn’t even know there was a Almonzo before yesterday.

      Cheers!

      SLC

    29. Margo

      funny list, Ann. Adults clapping in unison used to give me nightmares for weeks. And little girls seem to know that the “will you be my friend” thing is a sure sign that this person doesn’t want to be your friend. She wants to be your master. Until now I missed LI calling whats his name manly… thanks!

    31. Janna Bee

      Everything about my elementary school music teacher was cringeworthy. Her first name was Dottie. I used to hate how Dottie would clap using her right hand and her index and middle finger from her left hard. If it’s going to be silent, why bother clapping at all? Plus she used to call me John-na instead of Jan-na. Ugh.

    32. Roxane

      When my music teacher sang LOUDLY into both of my ears in front of the class to teach me to get on pitch. First day of school jitters. Ugh I really hated school…