Friday, November 6, 2015

Junior high angst





“Do one thing every day that frightens you.”

                             Eleanor Roosevelt






          I’m having flashbacks to junior high and being the new kid in school. The fact that I’m referring to junior high and not middle school shows that I’m old enough for this feeling to be ridiculous.


          I’m leaving in a few minutes for a three day writer’s conference where I know absolutely no one. Over the past few days, in spite of my efforts to tamp it down, a vision will float by of me sitting at a long lunch table, alone and ignored. 


          You would think that at this advanced age I’d be immune to such fears, but a woman at the Y this morning confided that she’d once found herself on a tour alone in Rome when her traveling companions decided not to take the day trip. She spent a lonely morning until she told herself to man up and talk to people. So I’ll be the pushy person grabbing that last chair and elbowing my way into conversations.  


          I do hope to come away wiser in some way.  I’m going to Crime Bake, an East Coast conference for members of Sisters in Crime, an organization of women mystery writers. The guest of honor this year is Elizabeth George, the author of the Inspector Lynley series, so this must be a fairly big deal. 


          Anyway, I haven’t done anything lately that frightens me and I’ve learned that those are the experiences I’ve most proud to have tried.

9 comments:

  1. For Elizabeth George I'd be brave and start conversations. I remember Jr. High too.

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  2. Ah, how hard to be fully human, at any age! I still have terror attacks when we end up in a town at night at can't find our way to the hotel easily. If we immunize ourselves daily, do we conquer fear?

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  3. Have fun, Marty and tell us about it all when you return!

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  4. Congratulations. Facing our fears is almost always worth the effort.
    And I envy you getting the chance to meet Elizabeth George.
    Have fun.

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  5. Crime writer and frightened? Of your own stories maybe?
    Go and talk to everyone you meet, why ever not? And have fun doing it.

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  6. Have fun, Mrs. Damon! I hope it's a great experience, and you get lots of tips on how to become a millionaire writer :):):)

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    1. Thanks for the positive thinking, CM.
      Now I wonder if anyone will guess that we were once student and teacher?

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  7. I didn't quite do something that scares me, but I was a bit apprehensive about trying two new recipes for dinner. What if they didn't turn out well? What if I didn't like them? What if I'd wasted the money on ingredients I don't normally buy?
    Both recipes turned out great and dinner was very enjoyable.

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  8. And I forgot to say that you will be fine, it's that first step that's the hardest. Once you've said Hello, you're in.

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