HMSFox

Susan Fox · @HMSFox

26th Oct 2010 from Twitlonger

My blog on Carnegie Hall, part II--Craig meet-n-greet

Now, as for that meet and greet, which I got to do after an auction held by Lollipop Theater Network, a charity for which Craig is on the advisory board (donations always welcome! :-). Remember, this odyssey started with a really crappy day at work. For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m an attorney. I’ve been working at a company for a while now, but I spent many years in what I lovingly refer to as “sociopathic hellhole” law firms. If there is any bad experience to be had at a law firm, I think I managed to find it.

My current job is a 100% improvement. However, as you can probably imagine, a corporate attorney’s job is pretty stressful. Dealing with Directors and VPs, which, like celebrities, can have egos (Not Craig; that’s a joke from the show). Interoffice politics in a rarified atmosphere. The politics of law, since most of the time law is not much more than politics reduced to a piece of paper. And since I hate politics, if I had figured that out before I started down this career path, I would have run the other way screaming. The monotony of reading volumes of boring material all day long.

I try not to have pity parties for myself—there are a lot of people who are in situations much worse off than me. Overall, it’s a fairly successful life. But, at the end of the day, I come home to watch Craig because it lets me forget all that. It’s my transition period from attorney to human. (Or, going the other way, monkey, monkey, monkey, monkey, ATTORNEY!)

After the show we got escorted to a stairwell landing backstage, and Craig came out. There was only enough time for about 30 second per person, and four of us there. I was first.

I’d thought about various things to say, but there really wasn’t time—it’s a meet and greet, not a cocktail party. So in the end, I was fairly quiet. I got my book signed, then watched Craig interact with the other attendees.

But you know what? The fact I didn’t say much, I really don’t give a rat’s ass (my favorite all time expression from the show—very helpful in private conversations with yourself at work). For those 30 seconds, I didn’t have to be an attorney, trying to schmooze a client or a VP. (Although often extroverted, I’m an introvert at heart, so although I can do it, that part of the profession has never come easy to me). I could just be me—an overgrown kid, overjoyed that for 30 seconds she got to hug her idol and sit there with his arm over her shoulder while he signed her book.

Then there was the fun of watching Craig interact with the other attendees, members of the RSA Tweet family all. NancyinTampa got a hug, Craig got to goof around and reconnect with an old friend, and then there was Colleen_Byrne, our proprietress of the RSA Outfitters shop at CafePress, who puts in so much hard work for all proceeds to go to charity. I was so happy I got to bring Colleen backstage; she looked like she was having the thrill of her life. She’d gotten to meet Craig once before, but it hadn’t gone well—she’d been too shy and walked away in a daze. She wasn’t shy this time. She got to say what she wanted to say, got a great picture with Craig, and walked away on Cloud 9.

Randy and Jeff were there too, but they hung out mostly in the background, taking pictures. And then it was over and Craig was away, I hope to immediately hop a flight for home rather than having to hang around and do business-related schmoozing. A week of touring and shows has to be tiring, and I don’t at all begrudge him trying to get back home to wife and son as soon as possible. Then back to work a day later, so the rest of the extended RSA family who couldn’t see a stand-up show have Craig back in their lives.

All in all, it was the trip of a lifetime. And that’s not even including all the fun times had with RSA members at tweet-ups before and after the show. When I first got on Twitter, I did it mostly to see what Craig was doing. Never in my life would I have expected to have found such fast, steadfast friends as we have in the ‘cano, or that Twitter would become such an integral part of my life. Craig brought us together, but it’s all of you who have given the ‘cano’s culture a life of its own. It is truly a unique society, and I love it dearly.

So, now that that’s all said and done—who’s ready for Craig in Nashville? See a bunch of you there!

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