jumping the shark
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 01:08PM I had never been to a blogging event before. My friends were lovingly referring to it as the "trekkie convention". I didn't know what to expect. I had only ever met two people from the online world before. And although they are dear friends today, I still felt like the new girl on the first day of school.
To make matters worse, I was dressed up as a 60s housewife, complete with a NETTED HAT. It was a Mad-Men party. And I was telling myself, "Hey, I'm a big girl, I don't need a babysitter, it'll be great." So me and my netted hat walked out of my hotel room. It may have taken 30 seconds to hit the elevator button. But when the doors opened into the lobby I put my shoulders back. Me and my heels and my netted hat were going to have a drink and meet new friends and it was going to be great.
Orrrr, maybe not so much.
Me and my netted hat walked into the dimly-lit clusters of friends mingling and laughing. My mom's words from junior high echoed in my head, "No one is as aware of you as you are of yourself." That's right, I'm just an un-noticeable fly on the wall. I scanned the room for familiar faces. Recognizing no one, my netted hat began to feel bigger as if it was now bulging into the ceiling tiles. I circled the room scanning... there has to be someone here. Twice. Three times. Four times. Me and my hat that was now a palm tree circled the room. Like a shark. Only I was anything but predatorial, and I had a gigantic netted growth on my forehead.
When I got back into my hotel room, the phone rang. I think my friend DD has a special radar for embarrassing moments. She lives for and thrives on them as if they are sustenance. But I knew her laugh, even if it was at me, would still make me smile.
She asked, "So...how was it?"
"I sharked the party."
"What?"
"Me and my netted hat. We sharked the party together. Until my hat got so big that I had to leave."
And her laughter did help. And then we laughed really hard together. And then I said a prayer thanking God for the mini bar.
I took these the next morning because I knew the light coming through that sheer curtain would flatten out my wrinkles. Looking again now, it's a pretty good depiction of the emotions that had been going through me the night before.
The weekend took an indescribable turn for the better the next morning after I met Meredith and found Tracey, and met so many other amazing, inspiring, honest, authentic...the adjectives could go on forever women. But my posts have been so long lately. I'm thinking I'll save those pics and stories for tomorrow. Or please read her words. She explains exactly how I felt, only I'd never be able to write it that eloquently.
In other news, I started the new blog for Epiphanie! It's not linked to the site yet and still a work in progress, but I'd love it if you came by to say hi! :)
See you tomorrow with Part 2. :)
Reader Comments (10)
Tears even!
That hat!
And your funny faces still can't hide your gorgeousness.