Simple Seaweed

Meeting etiquette:
If you want to flatter someone remember their name.

If you want to totally blow someone away, remember a couple of details of something that they said at a meeting.  When I was finally beginning to participate actively and regularly in my recovery I was stunned when people I could have sworn that I had never seen would come up and say: "Hi, Seaweed.  How did the job interview go?"  I'd peer stupidly into their faces, trying to remember where I had seen them before.

If you want to own someone, tell them that you liked what they shared.  A guy at the Vacation meetings came up to me a few days ago and said: "I'm always careful to listen closely when you talk."  I tried to give him the keys to my car: "Take it, just take it!" I was shouting hysterically, so grateful that someone, anyone, knew who I was.

This was a meeting I didn't like initially, and by "didn't like" I mean "the crowd wasn't parting like the Red Sea before the staff of Moses when I walked into the room."  They weren't doing it right: the meeting was too early or too late or something; it was kind of big but there weren't enough people there; the format sucked; people ignored me except when they wouldn't leave me alone; and on and on it goes.

I'm always reminded to keep my expectations low - I don't have to sear my image into the mind of everyone I meet - I just have to remember their name.