Awkward

 It must have been about ten years ago now that a fairly brusque woman bowled up to me after church, wanting to know the whereabouts of the ten tea towels she had bought for the church kitchen.

I knew I had taken two or three home to wash and as I tend to do, had forgotten to bring them back. I admitted to this failure and didn't think any more about it but a bystander waited for the woman to leave and said "wow, that was awkward"

It was the first time I remember anyone using "awkward" for a situation that was mildly uncomfortable but now it seems to be the word of choice for any incident or conversation that falters, is overly intense or one party is socially inept in any way.

Thinking about all of this raises some questions:

Have we become less tolerant of a bumpy conversation?

If so, is it all of us or just younger people? (maybe under 35?)

Or were we always having awkward conversations but using other words to name them?

Or did I spend most of my life being the awkward one so people said it behind my back?

Once upon a time I probably would only have used the word awkward for something personal and possibly embarassing: spinach in teeth, something sexual, body odour, those kinds of things.

How do you use the word awkward and has it changed over time?