I was fortunate recently to be in attendance at the annual convention for the socially awkward. You wouldn’t say it was a loud affair. It’s hard to imagine a lot of noise at these things apart from the clearing of throats, in case someone does actually ask you something, to the shuffle of chairs and the polite applause following each speaker’s awkward presentation.
The most challenging part of any convention such as this is in the interludes between events as we are all expected to gather round the coffee and tea tables and make polite if not hesitantly awkward conversation to people feeling pretty much the same as us.
It’s not unusual to see a lot of us standing against the wall our mobile phones in hand making it look as though the most terribly important business is being conducted all designed to allow us not to interact.
The one thing that fascinates me about the convention is why so many turn up. Awkward people are not extroverts nor do they like crowds. I reflected on why I attended when I felt like a fish out of water all weekend. I think there is the possibility, remote as it now seems, that I might meet a person with whom I might be able to converse. Trouble is most if not all are as tongue tied as I am. So conversation in itself is far more challenging than we imagine.
But I’m sure I’ll go along next year for if nothing else the sushi is always the best and the name tags discrete enough so not to be embarrassing that anyone might actually remember who we are.
Written for: https://lindaghill.com/2016/09/30/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-116/
Morpethroad 
LOL that’s a convention I’d feel completely at home at 😀 I majored in Awkward 101 as a teen, and haven’t really improved much. The internet is much safer!
Was that you Lyn,the girl in the black hoodie?
LOL yes, that was me 😀
I was the guy in beige!!!
Aaah, of course, beige blends in so…so nondescriptly doesn’t it 😉
Yep that’s me…lol
Oh my gosh, I’ve never even been invited! And there’s sushi there?!? I loooove sushi! I could be bothered to wear a name tag and lean against the wall, looking at my phone for sushi! (I do think mobile Scrabble is very serious business to attend to.) Is it possible I’ve been too awkward to get the convention invite?
Could be scrabble has occupied your mind and you overlooked the invite, I’ll put you on next years list….
Oh thank you, much appreciated 🙂
Keep an eye out for it…..invites come with a red border…😄
It is ironic how many of us bloggers can’t interact face to face
Yes the curse we have to deal with..
Sounds like a very unconventional convention, Sir Michael.
Dear Miss Izz, what a surprise. Where have you been? Travelling in exotic locations. Being courted by princes, sipping wine from leather boots?
Yes an unconventional convention for the very unusual of the unconventional….
…hiding under a rock? That’s more like it. 😛
Hehehe..I think I could see the brim of your hat sticking out….
The rest of me is about to emerge with a rant. Watch out. 🙂
Eyes glued to the screen…😀
There ya go. Hope it was worth the wait. 😛
I’m imagining the attendees texting one another instead of talking. This was fun to read.
Thank you Joanna. It was fun to write.
I could almost do this one. I still have memories of being dragged to seminars, conventions etc by my Director and told to go and ‘network’. Horrible. And I don’t even like sushi!
Gee Keith what a horrible experience, how awkward…thanks for stopping by…
This is awkward, but you left me off the invitation list and I don’t know whether to be joyous, sadness, jealousy, or go peek in the windows.
I’ll include you next year….maybe you could give the occasional address?
Awkwardly, of course.
I wouldn’t go. It is so awkward. Good job, Michael.
You’ve heard of your comfort zone? This is plummeting into your awkward zone…😀😀
I agree.