The fluorescent lights of the church stage reflected off my shiny balding spot as I awkwardly handed out tambourines to a room full of expectant children. I was 'Mr. Noel' this year, a character I'd created to avoid awkward small talk during the annual winter festival. 'Mr. Noel' wore a gaudy red vest and a bushy white beard, which made me sweat uncontrollably even in the frozen church hall. As I began my rendition of 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' with all the passion and musicality a sedated sloth could muster, I felt my phone buzzing in my back pocket. It was a text from my boss reminding me about an important meeting the same day – at 10 am – the exact time the festival had scheduled the awkward egg decorating station I'd volunteered for.
0