Life is full of decisions. Some are basic and have no real repercussions, others might be dwelled upon for days, months, years or even a lifetime. I was recently faced with such a decision.
As I mentioned in this blog last week, my dear friend and I went on a road trip. We went to Nashville to see our favorite author, the amazing Ann Patchett, interview the equally amazing Tom Hanks about his new book.
As expected, Tom was absolutely wonderful and even more charming and fun than you would hope. Also, very sexy. Just saying. It was a lovely evening. I would have been completely content with that experience, but shit got real the next day.
On our way out of town, we stopped by Parnassus Books—Ann’s bookstore. It has been a running joke for quite some time amongst my friends that I’m Ann’s stalker. Well, it may be official now.
My friend was special ordering some books for her great niece and nephew and I decided to go to the bathroom before we hit the road. The offices of the bookstore are near the restroom. As I headed that way, I heard a voice I immediately recognized. Holy fuck. It was Ann. I swear my heart stopped and I gasped. Then I caught sight of her and started to cry. I know. I’m a lunatic, but this woman is my hero.
I went to the bathroom and immediately started texting about the situation. I tried to gather myself, but I was freaking out. I went back to the front of the store to alert my friend about this development. I know I looked like a crazed lunatic. My eyes were wide and I was shaking. She freaked out too. We are both terrible fan girls.
My friend continued with her order situation, and I wandered back to the rear of the store to do more stalking. In my head, I was telling myself she was not approachable. She did not want to deal with my nonsense. However, I also kept hearing this voice saying, “If you do not talk to this woman, you will regret it for the rest of your life.” To that, another voice said, “Stop! Don’t do it! If she is not nice you will be devastated and throw yourself into traffic.” Both of these voices were legit.
I stood there for another minute and then an even louder voice said, “Fuck it! Carpe diem, you big sissy!” At that point, I went to a bookstore employee nearby and asked if she thought Ann would mind if I said hello. In less than 30 seconds I was standing face to face with one of the humans on the planet I admire most. Dear lord. Could this be happening?
When I tell you Ann exceeded my expectations, that would be an understatement. She was kind, generous and an absolute delight. My friend joined me. We talked to Ann about our favorite book, The Magician’s Assistant, along with others for several minutes. Then we got pics with her! I was seriously shaking, y’all.
As we were saying goodbye, I thanked her for her stories, told her how much they meant to me and started crying. I really am a big sissy. She stretched out her arms, thanked me and gave me a big hug. I freaking hugged Ann Patchett! Shew. It was almost too much.
We raved about Ann all the way home and promised to remind each other regularly that the day really did happen. It seemed like a dream.
Normally, I will talk to just about anyone, but Ann is next level for me. I’m so glad I plowed past my fear and doubt to speak to her. She could not have been more generous. The voices in our head are tricky little fuckers and trying to pick which one to listen to is hard AF. I’m so happy I chose the brave voice. I’m also glad I’m sitting here now looking at pics of me and Ann instead of thinking, “Fuck, I wish I had said something.”
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
