BlogHer Day 2, AKA The Morning I Stalker-Approached Elisa Camahort Page
/Overwhelmingly inspired by the tidal wave o' information that rushed over me yesterday during Day 1 of BlogHer '14, I fell into a fast, deep sleep when my head touched down on the landing strip of Comfy Hotel Bed (CHB in airport parlance) last night. Actually, there was an interlude at The Grill which included an attempted dinner with my own bad self, a too-pungent crab cake and a guy who sat down at my table with no invitation beyond a single onion ring dropping from a butter knife hilt. Really, dude? But I digress.
I awoke this morning with no idea where I was or what day it was but with the definite feeling that I best get up and get ready because exciting shit was coming down the pike towards me. In the shower I realized that the exciting s&*# was Day 2 of BlogHer '14, and damn was I excited. I dried my hair, untucked my t-shirt just so (cuz I'm fashionable, y'all), deftly applied some mascara to my lashes (read: I only had to Q-tip undereye smear once) and 85 Band-Aids to my bulbous toes and headed off to get a extremely large, multishot latte before hightailing it to the conference.
Coffee in hand, I exited Bijan and immediately spied -despite not having my glasses! In admiration we can see!- Elisa Camahort Page, one of the BlogHer founders and generally impressive woman. Before I could check myself, I hauled ass over to her and started babbling, quite possibly incoherently, with appreciation and enthusiasm. It's possible I said something like, "I feel like I'm meeting a celebrity!" or an equally lame, especially for not-yet-8am, greeting. She could not have been more gracious and proceeded to walkwith me to the convention center, chatting gamely all the while. Bless your heart, Elisa; I both thank you and apologize. I was Leaning In!?
Once inside, I confessed my behavior to a new friend and ate entirely too many scrambled eggs before again hearing from incredible speakers (Barb Dybwad!) and voluntarily walking into a firing squad of awesome knowledge dispersal.
- Arianna Huffington! My reaction, in addition to, I love you, AHuff and Go Girl: "Her belief that 'We have a much better understanding of the state of our smart phones than the state of our beings." is too often true." and we do need to "stop glamorizing being busy" and instead rage against the fact that "Being tired has become the new normal."
- Wordpress Best Practices! My reaction: "Shit, why did I study religion in college?????!!! I need to code, y'all, and I don't even know what CSS stands for."
- Kerry Washington! My reaction: "She is gorgeous and sincerely places her palms together when she thanks someone. She's like a yogic supermodel of awesomeness."
- Morra Aarons-Mele! My reaction: "YES!! to 'I am done with begging and I am done with fluff." as she spoke about women in politics and beyond whilst being pregnant."
And on and inspirationally on...
As I looked around, and tried to introduce myself and be present in somewhat less overt ways than racing up to Elisa Camahort Page on a San Jose street arse-early in the morning, I found myself ... racing the eff up to Elan Morgan to freaking stalker-approach yet another super impressive woman and ask for her damn card while saying something burbly about how great she was in the panel.
My new friend, privy to the morning stalker admission and witness to this evening one, made me feel tons better by asking if I'd snap a picture of her with one of her inspirations (Katherine Stone), and I started to remember and really believe the messages we've been hearing for the past 24 hours: Be Bold; We're Your Tribe; Lean on Us Because We're Here; and If You See a Hole, Fill It.
As if we're a bunch of Lady Nikes, let's Just do it!
So, thank you Elisa and Elan and Kim and Thien-Kim and Rita and Julie and Jory and Lisa and Feminista and Barb, Tig, Arianna, A'Driane, Richelle, Kara, Melissa, Jenny, Kristen, Amy B in absentia, and on and woman-on, thank you. Over and out, BlogHer '14.