Feelings of Overwhelmedness (having been written on Saturday Night at EasterCon)

[andrewducker]

Just escaped the party downstairs having lasted a record...half an hour.  Three hundred people in one place, all talking at once was just too much for me.

I've never, on a related note, been able to understand how people can talk at nightclubs - I can't pick out individual words easily over the noise and I'm left shouting small-talk, a combination of unlikable things that  does nothing for me.

My ideal gathering has between 6 and 15 people - enough for a few conversations to go on at once, and even for two different rooms to develop, but not so many that it stop feeling cozy.

I'm sure I could just join in conversations, but I feel like I'd be intruding - even more out of place than I usually feel.  Ironic really, feeling out of place in a convention of geeks.

*pause for an hour aaaaaand*

Lilian arrived back in the room to get changed, and I decided to brave the downstairs again.  Which turned out to be a good plan.  I found some people I liked (Mike, Ann, Kari, Phil, and miscellaneous others) lurking in an out of the way place, and engaged them in amusing conversation.  And because there was less people in this particular corner and it was slightly isolated from the noise, I relaxed more and enjoyed it.  Not only that, but I've never really felt I engaged with Kari/Phil before, but I actually felt included, which was nice.

And then at ten past midnight I decided to go to bed, because I was actually tired, not just to flee the surfeit of people.  Which makes a delightful change where parties are concerned.  I'll try to remember this next time I'm feeling nervous and wanting to abandon a party early.  Not that I'm likely to ever actually become an extrovert, but I might learn to enjoy it a bit more,and I might even make a few more friends.

*postscript - Sunday morning*
Bumped into Kari at breakfast, who wanted my assurance that I would still come to conventions once Lilian had gone to Winchester, which cheered me up no end.

Comments

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Kari is la_marquise_de_ BTW though she doesn't usually write very much.
But you like going to the Mission???

[andrewducker]

Cheers for the info.

And yes, I like the Mission - but I go there to dance, I don't think I've ever had an actual conversation there longer than a few sentences.

[i-ate-my-crusts.livejournal.com]

Bumped into Kari at breakfast, who wanted my assurance that I would still come to conventions once Lilian had gone to Winchester

Certain other attendees of Concussion would also seek such reassurance, since you're jolly good company, and we rather like you. :)

[neferet.livejournal.com]

I've never, on a related note, been able to understand how people can talk at nightclubs - I can't pick out individual words easily over the noise and I'm left shouting small-talk, a combination of unlikable things that does nothing for me

Totally get that. It's why I either dance, or sit in a corner looking mopey/pretentious/antisocial ^_^

[andrewducker]

Or cute. You forgot cute.