Because I’m not that guy! That guy is charming and funny and…
emotionally useful. I’m the guy in the dark corner with the
blood habit and 200 years of psychic baggage.
Of all the Whedonverse characters Angel is the one with whom I most identify. Awkward, a bad dancer, more inclined to stay at home and brood on a Friday night than socialize — take away the bit about the blood habit1 and you’ve got a pretty apt description of your humble narrator.
But even the most socially backward ladyperson must occasionally venture out into public and those forays can’t always just be for bread, milk, clementines and Diet Coke. Sometimes she must go out for sustenance of another kind. Three weeks ago that sustenance came in the form of the hugely successful first-year MOMENTUM Conference, and I’m just now coming down enough to say something about it.
MOMENTUM brought together sexuality superstars like Susie Bright and Tristan Taormino with mere mortals like, well, me. Over two and a half days we had the chance to participate in seminars on blogging, sexwork, ethics, gender, marketing, polyamory, dating and politics. Those were of course amazing but like in any good conference, much awesomeness took place outside the meeting rooms. Such as:
- Lunching with a friend I made five-plus years ago in my earliest days of blogging. We’d not even heard each other’s voices ’til she picked me up in front of the hotel — and we didn’t shut up for even a second during the time we spent together.
- Discussing with Heidi and Dangerous Lilly the ins and outs2 of masturbation with a charred femur.
- Talking with Brandon B. about the fabulousness of boys wearing nail-polish.3
- Visiting with Susie Bright about her new book. OMG you guys, I had a one-on-one conversation with Susie Fucking Bright!
- Working in person instead of on the phone or over IM on websites with Megan and Colten.
- Meeting people — in the flesh! — I’d worked on projects with in the past.
- Learning (over dinner with a group amazing, smart women) what happens when one is inadvertently fisted with pennies.4
- Getting to have a long talk with the beautiful Princess Kali, who I’d met a year ago in Vegas and instantly loved.
- Viewing part of the hilarious CineKink lineup before passing out from complete social overload.
All of these conversations drove home an appreciation of how very, very lucky I am to be doing what I’m doing, and how I couldn’t be doing what I’m doing if not for the work done by those who came before me. I stand on the shoulders of giants, and hearing some of those giants speak during the closing session made me glad to be in the back, on the floor, head down over my phone twittering away where no one could see the tears of gratitude that I have come so far since this little venture5 started — and how far I, and all of us, have left to go.
Thinking of going next year? You really should. I promise to come out of the dark corner and introduce you ’round.
The pennies thing reminded me of the Ass Pennies sketch:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/f7112b01fb/ass-pennies-from-greatest-comedy-sketches
I think I’m more curious about the inadvertent part than the consequences thereof. I mean, how does someone not notice that they’re wielding a few bucks in zinc-copper coins?
Next time make sure they’re wheat pennies for safety’s sake?
I, too, am concerned on the “inadvertently” part. What was this, “oooops I forgot I have a clutch of pennies hidden in my fist, so sorry!”?? LOL
I feel that this event is a lot more safe for those with social anxieties than say, a big party type thing. I do so much better in small groups or one on one where talking is the focus, not screaming over music or being shoved around. While I didn’t manage to always be a social butterfly, I did manage my long-time goal of attending blogger get-together type things of NOT being an anti-social wallflower all the time. I think the fact that sitting was a big activity helped (me in pain = me being anti-social and grumpy).
The penny story is not mine to tell. Suffice it to say that the recipient is alive and unscathed. :)
Agreeing with Lilly that Momentum was a truly safe space for those of us who are on the more shy side. I found people much more open and willing to chat with strangers than I have seen them be at other events.
AAG: Marvelous rundown of the event. You’ve captured it so well!! Hoping to spend more time with you at the next one! :-)
The more I read about Momentum the sadder I become that I missed it! There is no way I am missing next year.
Glad you had a great time!
xo~Sadie
You know… after hearing you and Dangerous Lilly and others talk about how awesome this was… I think I may try to screw up my courage and go next year. I might. If I can get over the “OMG if anyone finds out I’ll never get into med school” thing. *rolls eyes at scaredy cat self*
I’m really jealous, though. It sounds like Momentum was simply amazing. ^_^
I think I would burst into tears (or fits of delirious giggles) at being in the same building with Susie Bright, let alone sitting down face-to-face. Same goes for Tristan and a bazillion bloggers (including you). I am incredibly envious and very tickled for you getting to have that experience.
Excellent recap ‘n tidbits. The links rock, ya never know where you may find yourself….where it will lead, then learn. Thanks.
I so wish I could’ve gone. I really hope that I can next year.
I think some of the reasons you so identify with Angel are some of the reasons why I dislike him. As a normal, every day person, these traits are totally acceptable in friends and acquaintance, but in a superhuman immortal being on TV I expect more. As I get older I care less and less what others think about me (unless those others are people I’m trying to impress). I would expect that if I were immortal I’d just do whatever the hell I wanted all the time. I wouldn’t worry about some cool guy image. Because really, who is he trying to impress by not dancing at the party? It’s better to have fun and enjoy life than constantly worry about what others will think. Granted I must reiterate that I freeze up and stutter a whole bunch around people that I actually really want to impress. But in front of strangers I could care less.
I love that he’s so backward and vulnerable. I like my superheroes with as much humanity as possible. :)
To be fair, the masturbation with a charred femur talk was PURELY hypothetical. As was the talk of masturbating with the ashes of my dead father stuffed into a vibrator.
OMG you are awful!
And hilarious. I <3 u.
Just catching up on a backlog of your posts and saw this entry. Ha re the not shutting up thingie–didn’t it feel like we were trying to shove in everything we might ever want to say into an hour or two? So crazy. You will have to come back to town at some point, after we’ve caught our breath!
I will certainly be back in town at some point — and YOU should come to Momentum next year!