You would not believe the freedom I experienced this weekend being 1) away from work; 2) away from the house; 3) away from rules in general. Look, I know you have to have ethics, and for me as a Christian, I trust God to lead me away from situations that are wrong and in a place that He doesn't want me to be.
As a mid-thirties adult, however, my life is built around things to do. AND I AM ALWAYS BEHIND. I am constantly thinking of things I didn't get done, that I have to do to prepare for the future, even that I should have done differently. While getting ready to go to Atlanta, I realized that I was supposed to teach Children's Church on Sunday, and that I had to go into Atlanta later than planned because of my daughter's first varsity cheerleading experience at a football game. I had to sort it out. Stuff like this happens daily.
This last weekend though...I didn't do anything but pay attention to which celebrities I wanted to see, which panels I wanted to go to, what I wanted to eat for lunch, and what I wanted to buy. I hid behind people dressed as Jedi Masters, as Doctor Who fans, as Browncoats, as Klingons, as elves, as Cookie Monsters. There was mass anonymity in the randomness of the costumes. And I didn't have to decide anything for anyone else and feel the weight of the world. Sure, there were schedules. And budget constraints. But there wasn't the feeling of the constant pressure that I normally feel.
What a blessed relief. Thank you, Lord.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
DragonCon 2008: Celebrity
So I went to my first Dragon*Con event this past weekend. It was Fascinating with a capital F. A variety of thoughts cross my mind with which to blog, but the first I'll tackle is the topic of celebrity.
This year's Con (yes, I already have some knowledge of the lingo) had the most Star Trek celebrities that have ever attended a Con event - there were nine of them. There were four Firefly celebrities, three Heroes celebrities, and several other well-known actors, like Sean Astin from LOTR; Matthew Lewis from Harry Potter; Erin Gray from Silver Spoons...talk about fan excitement! See http://www.dragoncon.org/ for more details.
You could meet celebrities and get autographs by going to the "Walk of Fame" conference area where they would sit when they weren't in a panel or recovering from a hangover. They were courteous, sometimes distant, but always interested in following the rules. Autographs required payment; pictures were not allowed in many cases; and handshakes were ok, depending on who you were talking to. I made the mistake of asking one celebrity how much an autograph was while slapping some money on the table and got a really uncomfortable look and a shrug. Protocol was: I was supposed to ask the handler sitting next to him. It's almost like the celebrities don't realize that they are making money off the fans? Who knows. The other thing that was really awkward was when you made eye contact with a celebrity who didn't have a line in front of them, but were too shy or self-conscious to go bounding over and say, "I LOVED you in Witchblade!"
Anyway, I also attended some of the "panels" for the celebrities. These involved one or more celebrities coming in at the front of a large (or small) conference room for an hour, and then audience members would get in line to ask the celebrity a question. Sometimes the questions would be around the person's acting, or the story line of a show/movie, or a fetish that the actor had. Amusing!
It was all so surreal. I would be at the Walk of Fame and see George Takei and Walter Koenig sitting next to each other. Walter had this weird smile on his face every time I looked at him. I got an autograph from Dominic Keating from Star Trek, but I didn't really want it. I got it merely because I didn't realize I could just meet him. Hayden Panettiere had a large line but she moved through autographs like she was signing checks. Then you would have the guys with the large lines, like James Marsters, Nathan Fillion, and Alan Tudyk. A smile, a handshake, a bit of interest about my name, and let's move on. What could I say of interest that they hadn't heard before? I wasn't really there to get to know them. Then you'd see someone like James Hong standing out in the lobby, looking forlorn...his sex symbol days were over. Had they really ever begun?
I can't help but wonder what these celebrities are thinking. They could be 1) grateful for fans; 2) feeling awkward if they don't have many; 3) feeling weird about taking money for autographs; 4) making fun of all the weirdos at these things. I wonder if some of the older ones feel some irritation for the young upstarts that get all of the lines. I wonder if some of them want to meet the other celebrities but are too shy to do it, like I was. I wonder if they went back to their hotel room at night and just watched TV.
Celebrities really are just people, and we flock to them like miners ran to California during the Gold Rush. It was really cool meeting the ones I did, and getting all of the autographs I did. But...back to real life and dealing with the "celebrities" at work.
This year's Con (yes, I already have some knowledge of the lingo) had the most Star Trek celebrities that have ever attended a Con event - there were nine of them. There were four Firefly celebrities, three Heroes celebrities, and several other well-known actors, like Sean Astin from LOTR; Matthew Lewis from Harry Potter; Erin Gray from Silver Spoons...talk about fan excitement! See http://www.dragoncon.org/ for more details.
You could meet celebrities and get autographs by going to the "Walk of Fame" conference area where they would sit when they weren't in a panel or recovering from a hangover. They were courteous, sometimes distant, but always interested in following the rules. Autographs required payment; pictures were not allowed in many cases; and handshakes were ok, depending on who you were talking to. I made the mistake of asking one celebrity how much an autograph was while slapping some money on the table and got a really uncomfortable look and a shrug. Protocol was: I was supposed to ask the handler sitting next to him. It's almost like the celebrities don't realize that they are making money off the fans? Who knows. The other thing that was really awkward was when you made eye contact with a celebrity who didn't have a line in front of them, but were too shy or self-conscious to go bounding over and say, "I LOVED you in Witchblade!"
Anyway, I also attended some of the "panels" for the celebrities. These involved one or more celebrities coming in at the front of a large (or small) conference room for an hour, and then audience members would get in line to ask the celebrity a question. Sometimes the questions would be around the person's acting, or the story line of a show/movie, or a fetish that the actor had. Amusing!
It was all so surreal. I would be at the Walk of Fame and see George Takei and Walter Koenig sitting next to each other. Walter had this weird smile on his face every time I looked at him. I got an autograph from Dominic Keating from Star Trek, but I didn't really want it. I got it merely because I didn't realize I could just meet him. Hayden Panettiere had a large line but she moved through autographs like she was signing checks. Then you would have the guys with the large lines, like James Marsters, Nathan Fillion, and Alan Tudyk. A smile, a handshake, a bit of interest about my name, and let's move on. What could I say of interest that they hadn't heard before? I wasn't really there to get to know them. Then you'd see someone like James Hong standing out in the lobby, looking forlorn...his sex symbol days were over. Had they really ever begun?
I can't help but wonder what these celebrities are thinking. They could be 1) grateful for fans; 2) feeling awkward if they don't have many; 3) feeling weird about taking money for autographs; 4) making fun of all the weirdos at these things. I wonder if some of the older ones feel some irritation for the young upstarts that get all of the lines. I wonder if some of them want to meet the other celebrities but are too shy to do it, like I was. I wonder if they went back to their hotel room at night and just watched TV.
Celebrities really are just people, and we flock to them like miners ran to California during the Gold Rush. It was really cool meeting the ones I did, and getting all of the autographs I did. But...back to real life and dealing with the "celebrities" at work.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Weeks That Seem Destined For Adventure
This week, we've had several out-of-norm activities.
Sunday, I realized that I'd dropped a penny in the garbage disposal and it seemed to be jammed. Also, we had a youth program at church. M and I were in charge of the slide show...but of course, we had technical difficulties. The church laptop didn't work! What is it I do again for a living? Embarassing.
We went to Alabama Adventure on Tuesday. Fun times going on rides in 100 degree heat! Thank goodness for the water park that we went to after lunch. We went with our friends, the Hovens and had a great time. Then, that evening, the girls planned to spend the night with the same friends. I got a call at 10:30 pm saying that K was fine, but she'd stepped on a pencil and had lead stuck in the bottom of her foot. Say what? How do you do that anyway? Jamie's grandpa tried to get it out, but it was just too hard to do.
Next day, spent the morning at Dr. Parker's office. He had to numb her foot with a local anesthetic (translation: put stinging shots in the affected area which was hurting already) and dig out the lead. Turned out the darn thing was about 4 mm - no way could I have dug that out the night before. Ran to work after dropping her back at the Hovens (who felt guilty about the pencil incident). Unfortunately I didn't have time to go by the middle school to get K's schedule corrections. She hadn't been put in advanced classes...that's not acceptable for my children!
Thursday morning, first day of school. Spent 45 minutes in line trying to get K's schedule, who ran off afterward with barely a wave. No poignant "first day of middle school" moment there. Worked all day trying to figure out what to prioritize (work is crazy, saving that for another post) and also worried that K would get on the wrong bus for home. Well, she made it! And she and M called to report that a Bradford Pear tree in the front yard had split in half, and the half that split seemed to be laying in the yard.
Thursday night: calling Grandpa Joe about a potential option for a car for M; signing my life away with school forms; and trying to find activities for M's 16th birthday that she actually approves of. She didn't like the "Dance Party" theme that I'd proposed. Her birthday will be here before I realize it.
Can I get some rest from life already?
Sunday, I realized that I'd dropped a penny in the garbage disposal and it seemed to be jammed. Also, we had a youth program at church. M and I were in charge of the slide show...but of course, we had technical difficulties. The church laptop didn't work! What is it I do again for a living? Embarassing.
We went to Alabama Adventure on Tuesday. Fun times going on rides in 100 degree heat! Thank goodness for the water park that we went to after lunch. We went with our friends, the Hovens and had a great time. Then, that evening, the girls planned to spend the night with the same friends. I got a call at 10:30 pm saying that K was fine, but she'd stepped on a pencil and had lead stuck in the bottom of her foot. Say what? How do you do that anyway? Jamie's grandpa tried to get it out, but it was just too hard to do.
Next day, spent the morning at Dr. Parker's office. He had to numb her foot with a local anesthetic (translation: put stinging shots in the affected area which was hurting already) and dig out the lead. Turned out the darn thing was about 4 mm - no way could I have dug that out the night before. Ran to work after dropping her back at the Hovens (who felt guilty about the pencil incident). Unfortunately I didn't have time to go by the middle school to get K's schedule corrections. She hadn't been put in advanced classes...that's not acceptable for my children!
Thursday morning, first day of school. Spent 45 minutes in line trying to get K's schedule, who ran off afterward with barely a wave. No poignant "first day of middle school" moment there. Worked all day trying to figure out what to prioritize (work is crazy, saving that for another post) and also worried that K would get on the wrong bus for home. Well, she made it! And she and M called to report that a Bradford Pear tree in the front yard had split in half, and the half that split seemed to be laying in the yard.
Thursday night: calling Grandpa Joe about a potential option for a car for M; signing my life away with school forms; and trying to find activities for M's 16th birthday that she actually approves of. She didn't like the "Dance Party" theme that I'd proposed. Her birthday will be here before I realize it.
Can I get some rest from life already?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)