The Day My Dad Embarrassed Me {and had no idea why}

How many of us have been embarrassed by our parents, especially our dads? If you said never, you're either lying, or have a one-of-a-kind of parent. Growing up, I'm pretty sure my Dad took pleasure in embarrassing me in front of my friends. Sometimes it was on purpose {like loudly saying, "I've gotta go pick up those youngins"}, and sometimes it was an honest mistake. 

Such was the time that he dropped me off, and unknowingly embarrassed me to the point where I never wanted to walk in the doors of my high school again. It was a spring morning, and we were being driven to school by my Dad. We lived way out in the country and had about a 40 minute drive to school. I would often wear comfortable flip flops and change into whatever cute shoes I had brought for the day right before heading into school. 

I was a junior in high school at the time- waaayyyyy too old to be getting dropped off by my Dad at school but needed nonetheless because my parents couldn't afford the money for gas and a separate car to commute 60 miles a day when my Dad was going past the high school anyway. That morning, I had worn my flip flops and changed into my cute flats right before my Dad pulled up to the curb of my high school. 

I threw my flip flops in the back seat, and hopped out to where hundreds of my peers stood milling about before class started. I waved bye to my Dad, and no sooner had I shut the truck door than I heard the window roll down and my Dad bellow out, 

"Sarah, you forgot your thongs!!" 

I froze immediately realizing my Dad's mistake that he so naively didn't recognize. I spun around and yelled, "Dad they're called flip flops and I meant to leave them there!" My Dad drove off not knowing his mistake, and I rushed in through the doors of the high school hoping and praying that no one saw that it was me. I was mortified for the rest of the day year, and I'm sure my cool status dropped by at least ten points. 

My Dad had no idea what he'd done till I'd told him later, and then he couldn't stop laughing. Years later, I can laugh about it now, and my Dad will occasionally remind me to "bring my thongs". 

If you're of the older generation, please for the love of those around you, please call them flip flops and not thongs. If you tell us you left your thongs in the car, we will likely picture something other than sandals. 

Has your parent ever unknowingly embarrassed you? Please tell me that flip flops are called flip flops in your part of the country and this isn't just a regional thing?