Goofy Glasses
It was a lovely Sunday afternoon in the Palisades neighborhood of Washington DC when my friends Jill and Robin Anne hosted a book reading/ signing party for me, with Jill opening her home and Robin Anne acting as event manager. It was my first one, so like with everything else along this book publishing journey, thank heavens I had someone who knew what they were doing to guide me along. I was so excited about the whole thing, about what I would say, what excerpts I would read, what little glimpses of which character I was going to share, how I could hook listeners into the story without giving away too much, etc., that the rest of it was sort of going over my head.
Thank goodness Robin Anne reminded me about about a few things the day before, like don’t forget to bring books to sell (good idea!) and a few pens (might help when signing)… and a guest book… and some cash for selling,…and a camera and so on. I made a list and checked it twice, drove over to Jill’s to get set up– and then couldn’t find my reading glasses-not cool for reading excerpts from the book in front on thirty people!. I had to go back home and scramble around, and even though I know I’d had them just before going out the door, I couldn’t find them. So I grabbed another pair, the goofy looking ones, which rattled me and made me feel all scattered and discombobulated, but I had to get back to Jill’s house because people were arriving. 
In spite of myself, however, the reading not only went well, but it was a lot of fun. I read and signed books, met some people for the first time and caught up with others. Everyone listened with genuine enthusiasm and affirmation, bought books and had me sign them for themselves and others. We all snacked, got acquainted, chatted, caught up, and everything felt just right. Then of all things my friend Alice, without knowing anything about my pre-party fiasco, remarked that I should always wear that particular pair of glasses while doing readings. “They’re perfect,” she said. I took that as a sign from the universe that everything had come together just as it was supposed to, that I hadn’t needed to feel so addled at all. Even with the uncool glasses…or was it because of them…I could see that neighbors, friends, and friends of friends old and new, former yoga students, book club buddies, and others I had never even met before, had all came together for the sole purpose of supporting Angel on the beginning of her journey. It was a wonderful gathering, and I felt truly humbled and grateful for the amazing opportunity of writing and sharing ANGEL–and for those who are there to help me along.
