I'm Slipping

My black slip makes me smile. 

Sometimes I laugh out loud.  Sometimes turn bright red.  But, usually just mutter, "I can't believe I did that.  At least I'll never see those people again."  The story behind the slip took place over 6 thousand miles from where I sit and it happened a brief five years ago.



My husband and I arrived in Durazno, Uruguay late Saturday night, went to our hotel and fell asleep after our long drive.  The next morning we walked to church a few blocks away, walked back to the hotel, ate lunch, and took a nap (important detail).  We then walked back to the church glad that our way led us right through the lovely town plaza filled with families.  We arrived at the church and met the stake president in his office.  As welfare missionaries we were there to train his stake in principles of self-reliance.  Sitting there next to my husband as he is chatting in Spanish with Pres__.  my mind wandered and a little question drifted into my consciousness, "Did I put on my skirt?"  I knew before I looked down at my lap, that it wasn't going to be there.  I forced myself to look.  I only had on my black slip!  I gasped.  Jerry paused mid-sentence and looked at me, "What?"  I whispered in English, "I forgot to put on my skirt."  He looked, then said to the stake president, "A mi esposa se olvido ponerse la falda."  They both looked at me.  I was grateful for the big church desk.  Jerry said, "I'll run back to the hotel and get your skirt.  You sit here with Pres__ and explain to him about our meeting."  He bolted.  So, in my best Spanish (I was about as fluent as a 3 year-old) I explained our program, all the while thinking, "I'm sitting in this office, in my slip, talking to this man, and I'm supposed to be acting normal!"  I'm sure he was thinking the same.  Jerry rushed back and the two men stepped out of the office while I rescued my decency.  After the 2 hour meeting Pres__ said to us as we walked to the door, "Very good meeting, but, I will have to speak to the Area Presidency about the Senior Missionary dress code!"


Why would I retell this story?  To make this one little, often neglected point, Things do not have to be perfect to be good and right.  It won't kill you and you'll laugh about it later.  But, keep my secret, okay?  It's kind of embarrassing.

MISSIONARIES

Written by Mikey Tolman, age 11, September 2007

Do you like missionaries?  So do I.

So, I have a story about two guys.

They went to Argentina

and had funny events.

Like when my grandma went to church

in her underpants.

C'mon Mike I had on my slip!