It wasn't me! It was JOEL!

(I've got plenty of post ideas, and even though I don't want to "hog the blog," I'll do it if nobody else wants to write anything!)

My most embarrassing moment came in band class my junior year. I'd been playing the tuba for about one semester. I'd come a long way in that semester, but I wasn't great. And I was the only tuba player in the band, so I needed some backup.

That's where Joel came in. Joel is sort of a musically-inclined guy. He can play the piano, guitar, drums, trombone, didgeridoo, Peter Pan pipe, spoons, and even hacky sack. And during the second semester of my junior year in high school, he learned the tuba. Our band director assigned him to play the tuba with me for a couple of songs because a) even though he'd never played the tuba before, our director knew he could pick it up quickly for just a couple songs, and b) I needed the help or no one would be able to hear the tuba part in the songs.

I tell you that to tell you this: we were sitting next to each other in band class. Our band director was sitting at the front of the room speaking to the class. There was no music being played. Until Joel decided to unleash that natural tuba within.

He farted. Loudly.

Before anyone could react Joel snapped a look in my direction and gasped as if to say, "Jake! I can't believe you just farted!" Everyone took his reaction to mean that I was the culprit (which, of course, I was not). Unfortunately, there was not a whole lot I could do to change the perception. It was too late to deny it. Joel's reaction said it all: I was guilty.

Everyone in the class giggled and pointed at me. I sat there and turned red. And vowed never to speak to my brother again. What a jerk.

*In case you're sitting there in suspense and wondering, I have, in fact, spoken to Joel since this incident... but only once or twice. Reluctantly.