awkwardness

i'm in the middle of watching shopgirl. there's a very short scene that was perfectly done that caught my eye: that awkward moment when you're getting into the passenger seat of the car of someone you haven't known for long -- particularly someone you're on a first date with.

it's one of the most awkward moments i can think of. regardless of if you do or don't like the driver. you're all of a sudden shut inside a tiny capsule with most of your personal space gone. there's little distraction other than the radio. all of a sudden it's you and the other person, and you're going to have to --GASP -- talk.

there's always the awkward getting-in-the-car tango where the driver hastily throws everything piled in the passenger seat area into the back seat while the passenger hovers, waiting for that to all end. then there's the awkward sitting -- you sit about as properly as you'll ever sit, you're certainly not comfortable enough yet to sit as you would prefer, slouched or with your leg tucked underneath you.

contrast that with the comfort and familiarity of getting into your significant other or best friend's car. you take it upon yourself to shove everything out of your way. you sit comfortably. you chatter or you sit quietly without thinking the silence is awkward. it's a nice feeling.