10 minutes writing prompts - Dressed Inappropriately, Part 1

Welcome and a very happy new year!

When I learned about Cheryl's 10-minute free-write challenge over at Coach Daddy's blog, I decided to give this I try. 

I quit Funny Friday because I didn't feel funny enough, however I do think you can throw a prompt at me, and I'm able to come up with something within 10 minutes. 

Not being an English native I may allow myself 15 minutes, you know, to use online help.




Write about a time you were inappropriately dressed 
for the occasion


Besides the fact that I'm probably inappropriately dressed pretty much every day (sneakers and designer bag? Maybe not!) there is certainly one occasion I can talk about here.

Let's rewind to the mid 90s - this alone brings up pictures of inappropriately dressed people, doesn't it. 

I worked for a private employment agency and had to organize a customer event for the two branch offices in our area.

I was excited! 

I hired our graphologist to speak about handwriting, personality traits and how those pointers could help making the right hiring decisions. 

I sent out invitations, updated attendee lists, ordered beverages and finger food and most important of all, I rented the local castle's small knights' ballroom - little did I know that less than 10 years later I was gonna get married in the large knights' ballroom, and that I was gonna be very appropriately dressed for once in my life ;-)




Anyway, as the big day approached, our CEO randomly (or not) attended our team meeting, and when I summarized my preparations for that customer event, I had a brilliant idea! "Mr P, you're coming, aren't you?" 

He was all smiles. "Wouldn't wanna miss that for the world." He said.

"In that case would you mind holding a welcome speech?"

He smiled even more. "I wouldn't mind, but I think you should do it. It's your event!"

Oh man, I should have shut up. He knew I was afraid of public speaking. In every training session that included speaking in front of people, my coworkers even, or a camera (the worst!) I either froze or became super nervous. 

He bloody well knew I could not be up there on stage!

But I bloody well knew there was no arguing with him.

A couple of days prior to the event I had a skating accident and not quite tore, but over- stretched my knee ligaments. It was super swollen, and I could barely walk. Technically I was on sick leave, and I had spent a couple of days at home in sweat pants, elevating my leg, but of course I had to make it to the castle. 

Have I mentioned it's located on a hill, and you can't drive all the way up?

The bigger problem was: I didn't have anything to wear! Not the "I have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear" scenario! Literally no pants that would go over my swollen and bandaged knee! Wait, there was one pair of pants, they were really wide and hideous - and nothing that would really go well with this kind of pants.

As it got late and later I said to myself "screw it, it'll be a disaster anyway - so what if I look like a tent / scare-crow?" 

And I probably did.

When I finally made it to the yard where the welcome desk had been set up, there were already first guests, and I had to get to them right away, saying hello, handing out name tags, so I never even got a chance to see the knights' room that must have been filled with seats by now.

My 10 minutes are up. Stay tuned for Part 2!


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