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Originally Posted by Cynthetiq
didn't pay off? what did you think it was to pay out?
Actually IMO it's paid out in spades... you're deconstructing it with the assitance of others to glean as much information and lessons out of it as possible.
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Good point.
What I meant by "didn't pay off" was that I didn't meet all the goals I had set for the party.
1. Dress appropriately, in a way that blends in without drawing attention.
2. Relax and enjoy myself.
3. Don't do anything embarrassing.
4. Meet people and learn their names and a little bit about them.
5. Learn what the rules are for interacting at a faculty party.
How I did regarding the goals:
1. I looked pretty nice, though I'll probably want to tone it down a bit at the next party.
2. Complete failure at this one. I felt anxious the whole night. I did throoughly enjoy watching Grace and Dr. KGB at the party, as did all of the men there, so I got some vicarious pleasure at their enjoyment.
3. Although the mistakes I made seem small, I was embarrassed by them. That may be due to my attitude rather than anything the other patrons thought; there's no way of knowing, but I felt embarrassed.
4. I met people. I don't remember anyone's name. The guys looked nearly all the same, dark suit, white shirt, red or blue tie, mostly graying hair or balding, mostly with a graying beard. Combine this with a bad facility for names, and I still know nearly nobody.
5. I'm making progress on this one, the biggest positive of the bunch.
Other positives:
I got to get dressed up nice and pretty, something I really thoroughly enjoy. I really enjoyed watching Grace and Dr. KGB, as did everyone except the other young women at the party, so I got some viacarious pleasure through them. I learned something about how to behave so that I won't make the same mistakes again.
So, as a learning experience, I suppose it was a success. But isn't that what we call a failure that we learn from? That it's a "learning experience"?
So, as a learning opportunity, yeah, it was successful. In the other ways, not so much. I 'm not sure how to balance them.
Gilda
edit: I missed the biggie, which Sissy just pointed out to me: I tried something new and scary, and survived none the worse for wear. Now I have to use this same reasoning to get her up in a big roller coaster. Top Thrill Dragster, a 420 foot tall rocket launched coaster, is a walk in the park compared to a party.