The One Where Someone was Almost Excited to See Me

I can't tell you anything about Saturday because I don't remember a minute of it. Hmm. Curious.

I'm much clearer on Sunday. Sunday I went to a lecture at The Florence Griswold Museum. It was given by Tula Telfair who has an exhibition running through June 27 called Tula Telfair: Landscapes in Counterpoint.

Upon arrival, I went to the front desk to show my membership card. The lady behind the desk took it and looked back and forth from me to my membership card several times.

"Are you the Jennifer X?" she asked. I became really excited because yes, I certainly am and there is nothing I love more than feeling known and welcomed. What a great idea it was to attend this lecture. And I was glad I had taken a few seconds to put on a little lip gloss. You don't want dry lips when people are making a big deal over you.

"The one who does [whatever] work for us?" she added.

Oh, dear. That changed everything.

"Um, no. I guess I'm not the Jennifer X. Just a Jennifer X." Just one of many, many Jennifers. I don't know what I was thinking getting so excited. I mean, why would she know me? Let's be perfectly honest. If you were to rank us Jennifers, I'm guessing I wouldn't even make it out of the, I don't know, eighteenth-ish percentile. OK. The twelfth-ish percentile. Whatever. I don't know why we're ranking people anyway.

"Well, the lecture is that way." She pulled the corners of her mouth back in one of those forced tight smiles. It was a major let down for both of us. Sorry lady. I'm trying my best. I put on lip gloss for you people.

But the lecture was good. It's wonderful to have an opportunity to hear an artist speak about her own work. They're a rare breed, those creative people.

Tula Telfair, fyi, is a big deal over at Wesleyan. Well, I don't know if she's a big deal, but she does have tenure and I think she may even be the department chair. In any case, she is definitely the Tula. You don't often run across people who are as talented, smart, and successful as she is. And pretty. She's super pretty which seems a little unfair. Isn't that one favorable characteristic too many? Maybe not. I'm happy for her.

When I came home and told Mr. Blyleaf about it, he wondered if I felt like a miserable failure in comparison. In fact, I did not. OK, maybe I felt like I needed a better haircut, but I pretty much knew that going in anyway. Tula Telfair was born in 1961. That's important because I'm remarkably non-competitive with people who don't fall into that Gen X 1964-1979 category. And even then, I don't consider anyone born after 1974 Gen X. I've met them. They're not like us. I might even narrow the category further, but I'm not sure how much. We definitely don't want to lose Dave Grohl.

I'll give it some thought. In the meantime, I've got a party to plan. My sweet little girl is turning 6 tomorrow and I've yet to get my act together enough to plan a kids party. I think we're looking at early June at this point. I'm not even embarrassed about it. I have a feeling the other Gen X parents will understand.