I wish I had a large rock in my yard

[Quills & Wells]

I am usually not that shy about sneezing in front of people or being blessed, except when it comes to my parents, so this is totally weird.

I went outside to get the mail a few minutes ago, and on my way back in sneezed 3 times. My neighbor then yelled "bless you!!" at me and started talking about how I have sneezed so much lately. She has been outside watering plants the past two days when I have been getting the mail or walking the dog, and I have probably sneezed numerous times while in her line of sight.

I'm not sure what it was about her reaction or that conversation, but I wanted to hide or run away so much. I was standing there trying to think of a response and not seem rude, but I everything inside me was saying, "run for your life!!" I have know idea what I said in response, but we kept talking. Then she asked,"Why are you turning so red?" The only answer I could come up with was "It's so hot out here! I need to go get some ice."

I wish something had exploded or something, anything to keep me from feeling like a total idiot. Has anyone else ever experienced random extreme embarrassment like that?

[Anonymouse]

That sounds terrible. I'm sorry that happened. It's awkward trying to get out of conversations like that, which is why I avoid sneezing in public altogether. People don't realize how embarrassing it is (and why should they? sneezing isn't a big deal to most people).

I haven't sneezed in front of anyone since I was really young, but I remember as a kid I was trying to tell my mom something and I had to sneeze. I guess it was really obvious because she started laughing at me. I ended up sneezing and it probably was the last time I ever did.

She must not remember that, though, because when I was a teenager she asked me once out of the blue why I never sneezed. I told her I must have when I was a baby and she said "No, I never ever remember you sneezing, ever." She even asked the pediatrician if it was normal for a kid not to sneeze, and mentioned it around my relatives a few times. It was supremely embarrassing.

[zneeze]

Ouch That sucks. Yeah, it is awkward sometimes when we don't think it should be. I remember one time where I had trouble popping my ears open like normal, and I'd told this girl, and she suggested multiple things, the last one being, "Did you try sneezing?" I was taken completely off-guard. Normally a girl bringing up "the s-word" to me turns me on, and this girl wasn't unattractive or not a nice person or anything like that, but for some reason I just stammered for a few seconds (ended up saying "Yes, I have," actually.)