That was really moving. I will just say that the reality is that no one is ever really scrutinising you as critically as you are judging yourself. That thought really helps me cope with the image I project and the occasional embarrassment. If a stranger laughed at your joke while eavesdropping on a conversation, I doubt you would think about it much longer than 30 seconds. If anything I'd personally find it endearing
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I agree. We are often our own worst critic.
I wrote this post ambiguously so that people could form their own interpretations. It seems that you interpreted it differently then I would have expected - which is great.
In this moment we were both experiencing the same exact thing within our own minds. She was fighting not to laugh at something that a strangers child had said, just as I was and presumably for the same reasons. Me making eye contact with her, broke the composure that she was struggling with and she looked away embarrassed. It was beautiful because we connected briefly by having the same experience. Her laugh also relieved her vulnerability or maybe her humanity, which people tend to hide. This added to the impact of the moment.