We walked downstairs where I observed people of all ages, all shapes and sizes - enjoying the sights, conversation, and scheduled events of the convention. The stress and anxiety I felt before, melted away.
I was worried about not fitting in, which I quickly discovered was irrelevant entirely. Unlike other events, this wasn’t a judgement parade. It wasn’t a competition (well, it was but not in the bad way) to be “the best” anything. It was merely a venue to BE your best, authentic self.
I discovered a brilliant and exciting thing called “Hospitality”. Not “hospitality” but “Hospitality” with a capital H. Dozens and dozens of volunteers provided food, beverages, and entertainment to registered attendees. It was like going to your friends house to celebrate (insert any fun summer holiday here), except it was friend after friend after friend. As my friend introduced me as a “first time” attendee, it seemed everyone wanted to ensure I was having a good time and checked in on me throughout the evening. Club music was plentiful and I was able to dance to my heart’s content. A rare thing as a wife, mom, and career woman. On the rare occasion I DO get to do dancing in my regular life, it’s usually stressful as people are in their own personal dance reality show, looking to win some internal competition against everyone else on the dance floor.
Lesson Four: OryCon attendees are 100% comfortable with exactly who they are. They allow others to be exactly who they are as well.
I was worried about not fitting in, which I quickly discovered was irrelevant entirely. Unlike other events, this wasn’t a judgement parade. It wasn’t a competition (well, it was but not in the bad way) to be “the best” anything. It was merely a venue to BE your best, authentic self.
I discovered a brilliant and exciting thing called “Hospitality”. Not “hospitality” but “Hospitality” with a capital H. Dozens and dozens of volunteers provided food, beverages, and entertainment to registered attendees. It was like going to your friends house to celebrate (insert any fun summer holiday here), except it was friend after friend after friend. As my friend introduced me as a “first time” attendee, it seemed everyone wanted to ensure I was having a good time and checked in on me throughout the evening. Club music was plentiful and I was able to dance to my heart’s content. A rare thing as a wife, mom, and career woman. On the rare occasion I DO get to do dancing in my regular life, it’s usually stressful as people are in their own personal dance reality show, looking to win some internal competition against everyone else on the dance floor.
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