Norwescon, where Spring has Arrived with a Vengeance

[elfs]

It was a lovely weekend. I took Friday off from work to go to Norwescon, went to a ton of panels, made new friends, caught up lots with past friends, got at least two promises of future dates with lovely ladies, got a lot of business advice regarding the Ellody project, my lifestyle startup idea, picked up only a few art books and one collection

Comments

[tekalynn]

What was the body language key difference?

[elfs]

I have a tendency to anti-mirror. If people have their hands open, I tend to cross my arms. If they cross their arms, I tend to let mine hand at my sides. By doing so, I send the unconscious signal "My thoughts are in conflict with yours."

People at conventions tend to be holding something in their primary hand: keys, a book, a coffee, a phone. I held a paperback book in my right hand and slowly and deliberately, after about three heartbeats pause, brought it into a mirror gesture of whatever they were holding. (If they were drinking coffee, I wouldn't bring the book to my lips, but I would gesture with it in front of my chest.) It was a freaking Jedi Mind trick: the ease with which they talked to me was mind-blowing.

[irismoonlight]

Congrats on figuring out the body language detail! If you feel like explaining, I'd love to know how you figured it out.

We were also at Norwescon -- it was a lot of fun, glad you enjoyed it!

[blaisepascal]

Let's see if I'm interpreting this correctly:

You gave both your daughters fake names online to protect them from random net-strangers who might intimate that they know them by addressing them by name.

Your eldest decided, when she was old enough, that she didn't want to be referred to by the fake name and is now known in your blog by her real name.

Your youngest has decided that she wishes to be known in-real-life at cons by the online fake name.

So one daughter rejected the fake name, the other embraces it?

[elfs]

They do that. That's what happens when you blog about trying to create mature, self-willed, self-knowing children. If you're to succeed at the blogging part, you have to suceed and they ultimately do end up as mature, self-willed, self-knowing teenagers, and make their own decisions.

Persons we know in both worlds know of the dichotomy. One chose to reject it, the other enjoys the complexity of it all.

[omahas]

And, in fact, Storm has actually changed her online name in some areas (Facebook, especially) at times to reflect her opinion about something or her emotional status. So she has taken the idea that a name is not a static thing but a concept that you can use to reflect something about yourself to heart as well.