My most embarassing moments - Part 1

It's time for some blogging honesty. I've wanted to do this series of posts for some time but hesitated (you'll see why) knowing that some of you will smirk, laugh, shake your head, and ultimately think I'm a bigger idiot than you already do. It's worth the risk. What follows is some of my most embarrassing life moments for you to share and enjoy.

1. "I've got that Tupper feeling"


This first moment takes place around 1990. My wife and I were young and naive and Robin was contacted by someone in our church about a way to make some extra money. We were struggling to make ends meet at that time so I encouraged her to go to the meeting and find out more information. It turns out that the meeting was a gathering of ladies at one of her friend's house looking at Tupperware, the plastic dish conglomerate.

Sure enough, she came back from the meeting with several samples of free product and informed me that she was considering becoming a sales representative for the company. Move forward a few weeks on a Saturday when the phone was ringing once again with her "sponsor" who had become a littly pushy, wanting to know sales numbers, appointments, possible appointments, people who she thought might become appointments, etc. Ugh. Her sponsor was also pressuring me, her husband, to sell Tupperware. "Men have better luck than you would think", she told my wife. "Have Paul come to the big meeting next weekend and check it out".

Jump ahead one more week. It's another Saturday afternoon and we are pulling up in the parking lot of the local Tupperware headquarters. I was nervous and uncomfortable. Robin was not much better than I was as this was her first time to one of the "big" meetings. I don't like these kinds of group rah rah events. The stories are ugly and this one didn't seem much better on the surface. Besides, IT'S ALL WOMEN THERE...except me. We stepped inside to a world of much too perky people all very happy to have us in the joint. A man! Thank God...another man is here! He steps to the podium and opens the meeting. He recognizes a couple of people and then does something so amazing...so unbelievable...the point of this whole story...he....he....

The man turned to a small phonograph player on the wooden table beside him. He lifted the needle and placed it on a little 45 rpm record and then said to all of us (with huge gusto),

"LET'S ALL STAND TO OUR FEET AND SING OUR FAVORITE SONG TOGETHER -

I'VE GOT THAT TUPPER FEELING"

Really. It happened just like that. For the next three minutes, Robin and I watched in horror as all of these plastic dish salespeople sung the rousing rendition of "I've got that tupper feeling". We were trying to restrain our combined laughter and shock that a song like this even existed. It was like something from a Seinfeld episode. It was bizarre. It was the end of our association with Tupperware.

I didn't have that Tupper feeling.

I won't ever have that Tupper feeling.

Sorry.

To this day, I get a "Tupper Twitch" when people mention a great new network marketing opportunity to me. I know there are some really good products out there that are designed with downlines and whatnot. I know the concept works, especially for those who get in early. I just don't think I'm cut out for that kind of business. It never seems to be all that is promised.

One last note. Our kitchen is full of tupperware bowls, plates and cups - all of them great products. I just don't want to sing to them.