Awkward Office Moment

Nothing quite like an awkward office moment. After all, new office acquaintances are usually meeting under the strict conventions of manners, politeness, first impressions and that is what magnifies these instances of odd behavior. This is why these are great moments in history and must be shared, and so....

This took place earlier today. It was 5:30pm, I was packing up to leave. I shut down the computer and grabbed my blazer. All is well. As I’m walking towards the elevator bank the head of my department and the Executive Vice President are having a sit down on one of the nearby couches. I casually stroll by, and have the typical ‘have a nice weekend’ exchange that you would imagine an underling may have with two execs on a friday afternoon. In this same instance I am putting on my blazer in the flip-over-the-head-both-arms-at-once fashion and.....krap. I forgot I have my backpack on. And now I’m standing there awkwardly wearing my blazer OVER my backpack. And now these two men are staring at me and there is silence.

In an instant two possible options race through my head: Option 1 - recognize this slight wardrobe error, remedy the situation and laugh awkwardly? hmm, just doesn’t seem right. So in a split second decision I go for option 2 which is to ‘play it off’. I turn and go on as if nothing weird has happened, push the elevator button, casually pull my ipod out of my inside blazer pocket, cue up a good song and when the elevator comes I stroll in and disappear behind the closing doors, ready to begin my weekend, and of course, leaving these two execs mystified about the kid from New York who wears his backpack under his blazer.

My only question now is do I show up on Monday morning with the backpack still under the blazer in an effort to really sell this?? I’ll worry about that later.