I’m blogging from the Sheraton, here. I just walked away from my signing table, where people have been super kind in stopping by. Grimspace is selling well. Booksamillion is nearly out of copies, which is awesome. I’ve also met a number of readers who enjoyed the book.
I’m having a good time, but it’s a bit overwhelming. Crowds intimidate me, but I’m doing my best, and I’m having more fun than I thought I would. I thought every moment would seem like work instead of half. *grins* I’ll give a complete report when I have more time.
So tell me what things you guys are afraid of, won’t you? How do you deal with it? There will be a prize involved.
March 15th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I don’t like big crowds. In fact, they kinda freak out me and even though I’ve never had a panic attack, I have felt suffocated and that only upsets me more so I try to stay away from really big crowds.
Glad things are going good at OmegaCon!
March 15th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
*waving to Ann* Hey, you! thank you for stopping by! Now go back and try to have more fun!
Attending a party where I only know one person–or not even one person–intimidates me. Usually I end up trying to be useful, keeping myself busy–and unobtrusive–that way.
Used to be afraid of spending the night alone in the house, but then I got divorced and grew up
Oh and driving somewhere for the first time? I hated it, made me so nervous I would feel ill. Again, got divorced, had to overcome it.
Hmmmm I sense a pattern in my life…
March 15th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I don’t like big crouds either, I tend to stay away form them when I can. I avoid them if its possible. So therefore I don’t go the crouded places. I guess you could say I stay home to much.
March 15th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I used to be scared of bugs - but when alone, there’s nothing much to do but kill it - because otherwise it could be roaming free and anywhere.
This is the major one, and really the first one that came to mind. I’m scared of heights. I just can’t help it. Even slotted stairs make me nervous [the ones where you can see through while talking up them? There's only a "board" to step on - free floating?] My heart rates goes up, I have difficulty breathing, and I’ll break out in a sweat. Sometimes, to avoid scary stairs, I’ll take the elevator. Or, I’ll look straight down or up to avoid looking to the sides. Obviously stairs/heights aren’t something I can really avoid, so sometimes I’ll inch towards a landing or ledge, and force myself to look over.
I’ll also walk the path/ledge/whatever is high up quickly, then take a few moments once I’m past it to recover.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Great to hear Grimspace is doing well, it should with everyone raving about it and that you’re having fun afer all.
I never used to be afraid of heights until the year I had a bad experience with inner ear infections and vertigo. Now it’s not so bad but comes and goes a lot to a lesser degree, which has made leery of heights now with balance sometimes getting off. I have to be careful on store escalators now as I get dizzy if looking down, but follow advice and focus on a spot to the side of it and hold on to the rails now, lol. Sometimes I’ll be stopped at a traffic light when a large bus or truck stops by me in the next lane and throw me off where I can my car is moving and going to hit the one stopped in front of me, even though my foot is on the brake. I panicked the first few times, but then learned to tell myself, you know this has happened before, calm down and focus, don’t look at that bus to the side, tell myself you know you’re really stopped. It’s freaky and hard to explain until you experience it.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
I’m not crazy about being at an event where I only know one or two people, either. Not really afraid, but very unconfortable.
Afraid of: flying, alligators, deadly snakes, and very bad spiders. AND where I live, the only one I don’t have to worry about is flying.
March 15th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Drat it all, the blog ate my post. I thought of another “fear.” Driving. When I was two, my family was in a horrible accident - some idiot driver actually managed to hit 3 cars - anyway, the car was totaled, and ambulance brought on scene, and we all went to the hospital. My sister had to get 50+ stitches in her face. [I wouldn't look at her for a while afterwards, apparently.] I also wouldn’t get into cars, and screamed if everyone didn’t have their seat belts on.
I really wish I didn’t. I hate driving.
Recently, after being avoiding any sort of accident for the past 6+ years, I’ve been in 2 in 6 months. One, involved some asshat cutting me off on the high way, and me spinning out, then going into the median.
I’m not sure what it is, but I must have some magnetic field that draws out the morons. In general, but there’s this really old and narrow road to/from my apartment and school, were people swerve, and drive over the painted lines. Oftentimes when I’m in the middle of the intersection with the right of way, someone will gas it and drive right at me. A lot of people try to cut me off, or cut me off when they shouldn’t. I have no idea what it is, but me being on the road really is hazardous. Almost every day I have some death defying and almost accident story to tell.
March 15th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
hope u are having fun
heights an d bugs
March 16th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Big crowds are ok unless I need to talk in front of them. I spent a semester in a voice class and everytime I went up to sing I’d be shaking.
Don’t laugh but I’m afraid of the dark, its a good thing my DH doesn’t mind falling asleep to the T.V.
Can’t wait to see and hear about Omegacon.
Hugs, Danette
March 16th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I’m not too fond of crowds either. Plus I hate going to new places by myself. Totally amps up my stress level when I walk into a new place, don’t know anyone there, and don’t know what to expect.
March 17th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Well, like a lot of people here I am afraid of large crowds. I’ve actually been diagnosed with a social phobia, which just seems to mean there’s a name for my terrible shyness. I’m weird, though, because it’s harder for me to socialize among large groups of people than to speak in front of them. I did a lot of plays as a teenager, and I’ve taught courses as an adult; I’m even going to be a professor, so lectures don’t faze me too much. But crowded parties and social gatherings terrify me, because you don’t have a script and you can’t bring your notes with you. It’s the combination of spontaneity and large groups that really gets to me.
April 10th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Office Feng Shui…
Office Feng Shui…