Embarrassing Moments in My Life

About 10 days ago Marathon Girl and I were in bed. Marathon Girl was engrossed in a novel. I was trying to write. Unable to write further and feeling like snuggling, I changed the screen saver on my computer to read "Get Naked Now!" then told Marathon Girl my computer had a suggestion for her. She laughed and put her book down. I turned off the computer and snuggled up next to her without changing or thinking about the screensaver. Fast forward to Sunday. I have a great lesson prepared for the teenagers we teach in Sunday school. It worked out this week that all of my notes for this wonderful lesson are on my computer. Since we don't have a printer at home, I opted to bring my laptop to class and refer to the notes that way.

Admittedly, I was a little worried about bringing my computer to church. I didn't want it to be a distraction to the class. I turned the computer the screen was facing one of the side walls, thus making it visible to myself and two students. The lesson began. And it was a good lesson. The class was participated more than usual. They were having a good discussions, asking good questions, and providing well thought out answers to my questions.

"Finally," I thought. "I have a lesson that's really reaching them."

Then one of the class members said "Nice screensaver," and started to laugh.

I looked down at my computer. There in big, bright letters spinning on my screen were the words "Get Naked Now!"

I immediately closed the laptop as if that was going to make a difference.

Those who hadn't seen the screensaver demanded to know what it said.

"Get naked now!" said the class member that saw it.

This of course sent waves of laughter throughout the room. Any semblance of reverence that was part of the class was gone and never coming back.

"Was that intended for us?" another student asked.

"No, it was for my wife," I said.

"That was more information than I wanted to know," said a third student.

"You need a computer to get some loving from your wife? That's pathetic," said a fourth.

This last comment sent another wave of laughter through the room.

I thought about where this incident was headed. A rumor was going to spread through church about the screen saver. By the time it reached the ears of the bishop, the message of the screen saver would have changed to something very bad or it would be said that it was intended for someone in the class. (Stay tuned for the post of me getting kicked out of church or not teaching Sunday school.)

I was finally able to restore some sense of order to the room but teaching was almost a moot point. Though the lesson went on, but there were sporadic outbreaks of laughter and, lets face it, who can take me seriously as a teacher after that incident?

The only upside about the whole thing was that Marathon Girl wasn't in class that day. (She was home with Aidan who was not feeling well.) Had she been there and not died from embarrassment, I'm sure she would have killed me.

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