In November of 2013, I decided to participate in National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo). While I was browsing the forums, I saw that a meet-up of other NaNoer's was planned in the neighborhood in which I live. I responded to the thread and received an invite. Lo and behold, the meet up was actually held in the Penthouse level of my apartment building (two of the other members of the group lived in the building). That evening, I met a truly amazing group of women. They are smart, funny, kind, and passionate about life. I feel blessed to have been welcomed into the fold and I have developed some really strong friendships since that first meeting I joined, when I was the newbie and more anxious than I can say.
Speaking of which...I have never been good around new people. As a child, I was painfully shy. Even the act of looking someone in the eye caused me such anxiety that it bordered on physical pain. Well, as an adult, I can look you in the eye, but I'm still awkward and fidgety. I never know what to say or where to put my hands, so most of the time I just sit there in silence and observe until I feel more comfortable and can contribute meaningfully to the conversation. (Have you ever known someone who gets anxious and just keeps talking beyond the point to where it becomes weird for everyone in the room? Yeah, that's me, and to avoid it, I just don't say anything at all). People watching has given me some great story lines, by the way.
But I digress. Back to my great day...which included going to the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Sounds lame, right? Well, I'm here to tell you that it wasn't. Because as a major attraction, they have a BALL PIT. Yes, that's correct. I felt like I was a kid at the county fair again (I was so sad when I grew too big to get into the Bounce House at the fair).
I was in this place:
Not with this guy, of course. I don't even know who that is. I just pulled the picture off of the website.
But it was AMAZING. So. Much. Fun.
Then we went out for TexMex and Margaritas. Love my NaNo girls!
I'm a true believer that everyone has an inner child. If we don't let him/her come out and play every now and again, then a temper tantrum will happen and our adult selves will get into a funk. So, I let myself play like a child today and had one of the best days of my adult life (minus the whole meeting the love of my life and getting married thing).
I found myself not obsessing about the novel I just released and needing to finish my current work in progress. All week I have been driving myself bonkers with watching the sales figures on Amazon. I have been torturing myself with trying to figure out the kinks in the follow up novel in the series, which is a little in the weeds, to be honest. I want to start a whole series of new projects, but don't have enough hours in the day to plan and execute them. I'm driving myself into madness. I know, I know...I should just not do that. But, what if I let my vigilance fade and end up failing? That's the inner voice of self-doubt I have fought all week.
Today, that voice was silent. And that makes for a great day.
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