Friday, October 15, 2010

Sometimes I Should ...

Sometimes I should simply keep my inane thoughts to myself. Especially when people don't know me and know that when I say something odd, there is usually an entire back-story to it.

Let me rewind the tape ...

I have been in awe of the opportunity that our dance formation team has been given. Not only were we chosen to perform at 'Ballroom With a Twist', but we got tickets to see the show and the opportunity to attend the 'Meet and Greet' with the stars afterwards. I had been telling people that I would be rubbing shoulders with the stars.

Fast forward to last night. The meet and greet was not so much of an introduction and chit chat. It involved lining up so that you could have your picture taken with the stars.

It was decided that our entire group would pose with the celebrities for our momento of the occasion. Our dance formation team ... with the 'Dancing With the Stars' team.

In a group of 22 people (18 of us; 4 of the stars), what are the chances of standing anywhere in the vicinity of one of those celebrities? The odds were 1 in 4.5 ... and I was one of the fortunate few.

In a moment of clarity, I realized that my words "rubbing shoulders with the stars" was my reality! I was standing next to Edyta Sliwinska. My shoulder was actually brushing her shoulder. Stop the tape here. Rewind. Do over. Colleen!!! Only think those words ... do not ... I repeat - DO NOT say them out loud!!

Too late. The words were out of my mouth without thinking. If she was my friend and knew me well, she would have laughed with me. But I was a complete and total stranger and I told her that I had been telling people that I would have the opportunity to be rubbing shoulders with the stars. And there I was. Shoulder to shoulder with Edyta Sliwinska.

She recoiled (did someone tell her to move at that moment or was it a reaction to my inappropriate humor??) she immediately scurried away from me. One moment of eye contact. And it was over.

But I was rubbing shoulders with a different star. I'll have to look at the picture to see who it was. I was in a moment of awe and not yet consciously aware of Edita's reaction, I repeated my 'humorous' thought to him as well.

I rewind the tape of that moment and think to myself, "Sometimes Colleen, you really need to keep your lips still and just think your thoughts (and write about them later)" ....

Edita, I apologize. In my mind, I was amused with this reality and thought you would understand where my humor was coming from. But if I was you? I would have quickly recoiled and taken solace in standing far, far away from a stalker-like person like me too. I understand.

And next time? I will just keep my thoughts to myself.

2 comments:

  1. Don't apologize to other people when, in fact, it's them who should apologize.

    You were star-struck, they were pompus and obviously out of touch with reality.

    Remember it's us who make "them" famous. They should feel indebted to us, not the other way around.

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  2. There is also the possibility of communication barriers. My phrase 'rubbing shoulders with the stars' could very well have come across like 'knocking someone up' in the morning as the English would say. I choose to believe it was a communication issue, nothing more. My lesson is: to think more, talk less!

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