18 August 2008

Please Bathe Regularly

I was enjoying myself, certainly, but I felt a bit out of my element. In fact, at times, a bit uncomfortable. The Bishop and Incan seemed to revel in the strange and unique air at the conference, and I'm sure part of their happiness lay in the fact they were able to see one another - old friends sharing conversation.

I was beginning to feel less out of place, but then came across a "ground rule" request, posted prominently in the conference schedule. Reading over the statement several times to be sure I hadn't imagined it, I turned to Incan and asked, "Are they joking? Having a little fun with a stereotype, right?"

Incan tilted her head to look at what I was reading. Her shoulders slumped in slight embarrassment. "Unfortunately, no." She admitted, letting it out slow, resigned breath.

1 comment:

Melissa T said...

It's mostly for the "sci-fi" con participants, rather than the "writer" participants. But yes, where there are sci-fi geeks, there is a need for basic grooming reminders.

My favorite stereotype moment was at a hard-core sci-fi con, where someone had left their asthma inhaler on the stack of entrance forms.