My Worlds Have Collided

Well, it finally happened. My worlds have collided. They are now intermixed, intermingled and there’s no untangling them.

It started when a few real life people from the speed skating found my blog and now, well there seems to be a bunch more. And they keep telling me they’re reading it which makes me feel a bit sick to my stomach because in real life I actually get quite nervous in large groups or when talking to new people. I’m at my best when I’m one-on-one, in a small group or behind a computer screen. Writing is my safe place. Talking to new people is not. Talking to new people about my writing is most definitely not.

On January 1st I was featured in the Toronto Star in an article about people who had followed through on their new year’s resolutions from the previous year – mine had been to do more things that scare me. Thanks to the magic that is google, the reporter found me and asked if I’d be interested in doing an interview, so I was all “Sure, why not?” - my typical response to most things. *shrugs shoulders*

When there’s anything about the speed skating club or its members in the newspaper it goes up on the wall, along with news about meets, speed skating successes and upcoming events. I love how they celebrate both the club as a whole and the individual members – I just wasn’t expecting for my article to be up on the wall when I walked in on Sunday.

As soon as I saw it I burst out in a nervous laugh, then mumbled, oh crap, to Hockey Playing Husband who couldn’t stop laughing at my uncomfortableness and then I hid out in the change room with Speed Skating Son until I could make my way up into the stands early while avoiding eye contact with any and all other people.

Hockey Playing Husband totally made fun of me. The awesome group of speed skating moms I’ve come to know and love understand how weird it is for me and also made fun of me which ThanksBeJeebus because it makes it much easier for me when I can laugh about it.

But it seems my worlds have collided – real life vs. internet – and there’s nothing I can do to uncollide them.

So I guess I’ll just say that if you’re here and you know me in my real life, thanks for dropping by. And if I see you at speed skating and I seem goofy and awkward and like I may run away at any second, that’s because it’s kind of who I am. Also, yes, I do know I’m wearing glasses with only one arm on them. They broke last month and I haven’t had time to fix them.

What can I say? There’s no backspace in real life.