"try going to meet your writer friend for a drink and she’s there with another author who wrote a weird/rude review of your book on Goodreads and now you have to pretend you don’t look at Goodreads HAHAHAAHAHHA"
This is only tangentially related, but I would like to share a story along these lines. I had a internship during grad school when I was horribly depressed and was unsurprisingly a terrible employee (numerous no-call no-shows got me reprimanded repeatedly). I am doing well in my career now and recently attended an out of town conference with my current boss.
On the plane there, we happened to be seated DIRECTLY BEHIND my old boss, and my new boss proceeded to LOUDLY SHIT TALK THE OLD BOSS (for unrelated reasons of his own). Of course I was mortified and avoided my old boss like the plague the whole conference (of course he was going to the same the conference, did you think he was not? ahahahahaha).
Then, after all that avoiding, on the way back, I got upgraded to first class, which I was super excited about, my first time in first class, until it turned out that it placed me across the aisle from my old boss, and all the bag bins were full so I had to use the one DIRECTLY ABOVE HIS SEAT and awkwardly say hi because there was nothing else to do at that point.
I thought surely this saga was over, but at an in-town conference I went to a LGBT networking event and had some pleasant conversation with a table full of queers my age, before I realized with dread that they ALL worked for the same company I was a shitty intern at.
Anyway, I would take running into my ex over the anxiety all this caused me. I hope my pain might make OP feel a bit better.
Ohhhh ok I was nodding along wisely having gone through something similar-ish recently but feeling like I was well out the other side of it… then I read the last sentence and it hit deep. I too need to release my own personal dracula 🧛🏻♀️ ty!
What Maddy said. And - release those feelings babe, let them move through you. If you have trouble with this (like me), it might help to look up a feelings list like the Hoffman one with emotions and body sensations.
Someone please notify my heirs that I’d like “Bitchy Yet Diplomatic” on my tombstone.
Goodreads?!? Who is this author? I’m going to write a weird/rude review of HER book STAT. I loved your book and it’s why I started following you. 💜
"try going to meet your writer friend for a drink and she’s there with another author who wrote a weird/rude review of your book on Goodreads and now you have to pretend you don’t look at Goodreads HAHAHAAHAHHA"
This is only tangentially related, but I would like to share a story along these lines. I had a internship during grad school when I was horribly depressed and was unsurprisingly a terrible employee (numerous no-call no-shows got me reprimanded repeatedly). I am doing well in my career now and recently attended an out of town conference with my current boss.
On the plane there, we happened to be seated DIRECTLY BEHIND my old boss, and my new boss proceeded to LOUDLY SHIT TALK THE OLD BOSS (for unrelated reasons of his own). Of course I was mortified and avoided my old boss like the plague the whole conference (of course he was going to the same the conference, did you think he was not? ahahahahaha).
Then, after all that avoiding, on the way back, I got upgraded to first class, which I was super excited about, my first time in first class, until it turned out that it placed me across the aisle from my old boss, and all the bag bins were full so I had to use the one DIRECTLY ABOVE HIS SEAT and awkwardly say hi because there was nothing else to do at that point.
I thought surely this saga was over, but at an in-town conference I went to a LGBT networking event and had some pleasant conversation with a table full of queers my age, before I realized with dread that they ALL worked for the same company I was a shitty intern at.
Anyway, I would take running into my ex over the anxiety all this caused me. I hope my pain might make OP feel a bit better.
Ohhhh ok I was nodding along wisely having gone through something similar-ish recently but feeling like I was well out the other side of it… then I read the last sentence and it hit deep. I too need to release my own personal dracula 🧛🏻♀️ ty!
As always, your advice is so thoughtful and gay. Love your work! 💜💜💜
What Maddy said. And - release those feelings babe, let them move through you. If you have trouble with this (like me), it might help to look up a feelings list like the Hoffman one with emotions and body sensations.