Tonight, The Bloggess!

As forewarned in my introduction, I am a huge Jenny Lawson fan. Tonight I will be joining what I am sure will be a horde of people waiting in line for a signature, maybe a hug and a chance to spend a minute making small talk. I am excited and freaked out at the same time. What do you say in 30 seconds or so that has any real meaning besides a simple, "Thank you"? I fear I'll just be another tongue-tied fan-girl. (And really, at 49 y/o that's embarrassing!) 

This will be the first book reading/signing I have ever attended. Well, I tried to go to one with Amy Tan years ago but it was way too crowded so I didn't go in. There are many writers I admire and whose works I love, but not many I'd stand in line to meet. With @TheBloggess * it isn't just about her growing fame or her way with words. Without a doubt her sense of humor and way of looking at life makes for a marvelous read. She also takes hard edged issues like depression and anxiety and smooths the sharp corners to make her points easier to read and to feel. She doesn't preach about mental health issues, she simply lets you into the world of what it's like and welcomes you to the fold. Through her words and actions she shows that even if something like anxiety can't be totally overcome, it can be harnessed and made to work for you rather than you being its slave.

I found Jenny through Wil Wheaton's @Wilw twitter feed. He was supporting her in some issue with an arrogant PR guy. I followed her too just to keep up on the story. This all happened during a period where I was spending the majority of my non-working time online, reading other about people's lives to avoid my own. As luck would have it, I finally went to her blog and as a result I came to discover the Red Dress Project and the Depression Lies threads and so much more. I was reminded that I was not the only soul seeking hope and relief. I shut off my denial, sought help and climbed back to the reality of daily living. (Possibly more later.) I even shared her story and book with my therapist who has become a fan too!

Jenny's life, as told in "Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) is a mostly hilarious recipe for life with a few pinches of the down sides of reality thrown in. Having also come of age in the South, I can (scarily) relate to many of her stories. She talks of pet turkeys that follow her, I only had one turkey with an identity disorder. He thought he was a pit bull guard dog! My home was also filled with various woodland creatures, only mine were alive. Great horned owls and buzzards make for interesting pets. You can probably see now why I identify so strongly with this writer. With a few changes here and there, she could have been me, or vice-versa


* Just had to note, spell-check keeps suggesting I change @TheBloggess to Togetherness. Guess they know what they are talking about!

P.S. If you are going to Powell's tonight, leave a note below please! If you aren't in the area and read this, also please leave a note. I'd like to know "who" is reading, not just see numbers on a statistics page. Thanks!