Escape the Nook

Family conversations can be extremely awkward, or extremely funny, depending on the family or your mood at the time. In my case as of late, they are usually the former, unfortunately. Tonight was one of those nights. It was in the middle of the meal and as I sat there stirring my soup with a slice of bread, I frantically tried to concoct a feasible plan of escape from the situation. Unfortunately, I found that many of those plans failed because I was despairingly corralled in by the table in front, a wall to the left, very close wall to the back and another person at my right. It was a very close breakfast nook-type area. To get out, I would have had to say "excuse me" thus interrupting the heated (and not very well communicated, I might say) conversation. I was not part of the family, so I did not feel like I had any say in the matter at hand, even though they kept trying to involve me perhaps in order to recruit me to their ranks. I basically kept brushing off their questions with a polite answer, nibbling at my food in the mean time. I am not a confrontational person, so I didn't end up pardoning myself from the table, but decided to ride out the awkwarness. Eating my delicious potato and cheese soup (at least there was good food involved), I patiently waited for an opening. Suddenly, I received a phone call from an unidentified number (I had been looking for a job at the time). Finally! Salvation! I was thus delivered from the table and to the solace of my room. Away from the cringing uncomfortableness and into a rather encouraging conversation with a representative of a church I applied at who thought my resume was "excellent." I thought so.