We all know what an awkward silence feels like: the uneasiness, the discomfort, and the not knowing what to say or do next. 

     MHS freshman, Sami Ricketts, knows all about awkward moments.  Ricketts says, “This weekend my friend Ellen Dolle and I were walking to Bruegers when my aunt pulled up.  She waved to me and as I waved to her I walked into a sign.  When I was getting up from the ground I looked over and saw people out on their porch laughing at me.  It was really awkward so I walked away.”

     During an awkward moment some people choose to just walk away (like Michael Cera in the movie Super Bad) and some people choose to say out loud, “Well this is awkward.”

     Having to choose between the two solutions is difficult because they both lead to even more awkwardness.  However, there has been a recent solution to this problem.  The antidote for this is making an awkward sign.

     Awkward signs come in all shapes and sizes.  They range from anything to an awkward turtle to an awkward palm tree.  The whole purpose of them is to provide stability during an awkward moment.

     Instead of having to wait in an awkward silence, you can make an awkward turtle gesture and turn the awkward moment into a laughing moment.

     When asked about how she first found out about awkward gestures, MHS senior, Margaret Tomczak said, “It comes from…” (then pointed to her head). 

     MHS senior, Teddy Murphy, says “One time I was using the restroom and I started laughing at a past memory and I probably really creeped out some sophomore kid.”

     Some students prefer to use awkward gestures to mess with other students. Brian Austin, an MHS senior, says, “A couple years ago I was in history sitting next to Doug Phillips with my feet up on the medal parts of the desk, and Doug performed an awkward salmon on me from underneath me.”  After Phillips finished his awkward salmon Austin said, “I erupted with laughter.”

Here’s a list of a few awkward signs with instructions on how you perform them:

• Awkward Turtle- place one hand on top of the other with palms facing down then rotate your thumbs in a forward motion.
• Awkward Baby Turtles- after someone slaps your hand while you are in the process of performing the Awkward Turtle, your hands separate and now you move your thumb and pinky from both of your hands and move them forward as well.
• Awkward Sloth- hold both of your hands up and slowly move your index, middle, and ring finger up and down.
• Awkward Balloon- hold your right hand up in a clenched fist (as if you are holding something) then move your eyes from right to left in an awkward way.
• Awkward Salmon- when you are sitting next to someone whose legs are spread apart, reach over and slap the inside of both of their thighs and yell “Awkward Salmon!!” until your victim stops you.
• Awkward Palm Tree- connect your arms together in a crossing fashion and then let your hands deflate like a sagging branch on a tree.