Alas, after 20 years, our faithful KitchenAid has washed its last glass baking pan and rinsed its final coffee cup. We tried banging on it to get one more wash but eventually accepted it was gone and it was time for us to move on. I confessed to Becky I am not so anti-technology that I want to once again do dishes by hand in the sink. So off to the Trafalgar Public Library, we went.
But, in some ways, Becky and I are still old school. For example, we go to libraries to find information. We settled into some comfy chairs and leafed our way through consumer magazines for the latest dishwasher recommendations. In no time we found what we were looking for without Googling it.
As we ambled our way back to the front, we noticed a poster, “Embrace the Awkward.” We were curious. What could this mean? It was a seemingly simple phrase but I found myself turning it over in my head looking for the sense of it. Like a line of poetry, the words were taking me down speculative roads. I was coming up with different ways to understand the words. We discussed it while we were driving home.
It might be a suggestion to face up to our fears of doing or saying something that we would rather not do or say. Maybe, someone is going through a hard time and I know I should offer comfort, but I hesitate out of fear of adding to their pain. Or worrying that broaching an uncomfortable subject or opening a topic might cause anxiety in the person or, perhaps, in me.
Or it could mean like when I get into a conversation with an acquaintance and he or she starts down some private, personal road that I realize could put me into the position of revealing something personal about myself. Opening oneself up to another person is scary. Sometimes it seems easier to avoid that sort of intimate conversation.
I then thought about how I often don’t bring something up because it might cause conflict or arguments. I think the last few political seasons have made me wary of discussing certain issues with some people, especially those I know who are very passionate about one political position or its political opposite. Am I wrong to try to avoid conflict, especially with people I want to be around and want to have a relationship with? Should I instead be embracing the awkward?
After claiming to be an anti-technological Neo-Luddite, I feel a little awkward admitting I searched the words “Embrace the Awkward” on my computer when we got home. The first thing to pop up was a book, “Embrace the Awkward: A Guide for Teens to Succeed at School, Life and Relationships,” by Joshua Rodriguez. As the subtitle suggests, it is a book written to help young people navigate the world of school, friends, family as well as the modern minefield of social media.
A variation of the term also appeared. “Seize the Awkward,” led me to a website guide on starting a conversation about mental health. The opening page urges the reader to “be a friend who listens.” Although the site seems to be talking to young people, these awkward but important conversations about mental health seem appropriate for all ages.
I am glad Becky and I have a better understanding of the words on the poster. I guess a good thing that came out of our library research visit is we were reminded that truly engaging with others is a necessary part of communication.
Norman Knight, a retired Clark-Pleasant Middle School teacher, writes this weekly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
