Wow, it’s been a long time for me since posting. What have I been doing? Writing. Yup, I’ve been running a local memoir writing group and that means I have to do a bit of writing myself in order to keep face. I love it, and it’s been fun. But it does mean that I have less time to do what I also like to do, which is cook, watch TV and remember to blog. But that’s all changed since I’ve reworked my schedule. I’m sure you’re happy to hear that (all three of you!)
But last week I had to take a writing break to accompany my daughter to the Supernatural DC Con in Washington D.C. Yup, an entire convention for the TV show, Supernatural. If you haven’t seen the show, let me fill you in. Two hunky guys, brothers on the show, fight demons, vampires, ghoulish creatures, and even a few angels gone bad, as they travel all over the back roads of the United States. They have some angels on their side, but mainly they are in mortal danger every week. But man, do they look good doing it. The fans are rabid, and I mean that. The convention was filled with people cosplaying most of the characters, and loving every minute. My daughter cosplayed two out of three days and she looked amazing. It was a three-day show filled with karaoke, cabaret, photo ops, autographs, and lots of laughter and good times. I was quite excited for a photo op with Mark Sheppard, also known as Crowley on Supernatural, Jim Sterling on Leverage, Canton Delaware on Doctor Who, Romo Lampkin on Battlestar Galactica, and one of my favorites-Badger on Firefly. Turns out, he was having a bit of a bad day and wasn’t as friendly as I’d hoped. I saw him as I stepped out of the elevator and said Hello, only to get a grunt as he kept walking. Ok, maybe he’s in a hurry. Then he had a Q&A panel and seemed a bit touchy, but Ok, maybe he’s tired. Then, during the photo ops I heard a young girl ask him something when it was her turn for the photo. His response was simply, “That’s not gonna happen.” This was said in a gruff, quick tone and I saw her face fall. I don’t even know what she asked, but his answer pretty much punctured the fangirl bubble around her. He put his arm around her and smiled for the photo. Then it was our turn. Hmmm, we smiled, he smirked, photo over, move on. But, I’m going to tell myself that he was having a rough day and I won’t hold it against him. I’ve had bad days, but I guess I don’t have to deal with 500 people who adore me every day.
The phenomenon of these shows building such reputations is amazing. The power of social media keeps this show going with Tumblr, Facebook, and Twitter pages dedicated just to the show, and each character and actor. When characters are killed off or hurt, fans rally. And speculation over whether Chuck is God (yes, that actual God) or not is still up in the air. My daughter and I are still debating it. Each brother has died and come back to life a few times and each time they grow closer to each other. I can only imagine after nine years how close the actors must be. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki sure seem to have a great rapport with each other, but why not after all that time?
The highlight for me was the chance to spend time with a dear friend who drove down from Long Island to spend the weekend and hang out. Martinis, hugs, and even a few tears-that’s what friendship is all about! We sat in the lobby bar watching the cosplayers mingle. We waited while my daughter attended the actors’ cabaret in the ballroom and we had a few more martinis while we waited. (Just doing what a good mother would do…wait for her kid.)
So, I’m back and ready to dive into the memoir essays, writing, and editing. Watch for more blog posts and keep commenting. I love hearing from you!
Valerie Demetros - The Writing Life 