My Most Embarrassing Moment (one of them, anyway)

About five years ago, I was a Beaver leader when my number one son was younger. Our meetings were held in the basement of a church on Wednesday evenings. A friend of mine, who attended that church, mentions that her 2-year-old had lost something in the church that previous Sunday. Being a nice guy, I say that I will run upstairs to the church on Wednesday night and check for the lost item.

Wednesday arrives, and during our Beaver meeting I scoot upstairs to the church. Normally the church is empty on Wednesday nights. When I arrive in the foyer outside of the main church area, a lady is standing there. I tell her I am just looking for something quickly, and she expresses no concern. I enter the main church area, and work my way up and down the long pews, searching wherever a child might leave something.

As I approach the front of the church, something catches my eye. I glance at a large case on the floor in front. No wait, it's not a case... it's a... coffin.

Immediately the gravity of the situation comes crashing down on me. I'm sharing an empty church with the last remains of the newly departed... and there's a lady in the foyer... and that means that tonight might be a funeral... at which point the "get the hell out of here" gland kicks in, and I run out of church through the doors to the foyer.

Too late.

I was right. A funeral was about to begin, and I come face to face with a bunch of mourners preparing to enter the church for the funeral service. Which in itself would be an awkward and uncomfortable situation.

But that's not the best part.

This particular Beaver meeting was in October.

In fact, it was our HALLOWEEN party.

So (and here's the part I didn't tell you before): not only have I just burst through the double doors to confront a solemn bunch of mourners...

I'm dressed head-to-toe as BATMAN.

Never in my life have I been more happy to have most of my face covered. Somehow I barely manage to spit out, "Um... excuse me" as I pass through the crowd. As I run down the stairwell with my big black cape flapping behind me, I distinctly hear someone say, "You know... I never expected to see Batman here tonight..."