Page 3 of Heartwood and Hardware
Outfit picked out? Speech practiced? Emergency chocolate packed?
I glance at the dress hanging on my closet door. It's dark teal with subtle geometric patterns, professional enough for a panel but comfortable enough that I won't be tugging at it constantly. The matching cardigan hangs beside it because convention center air conditioning is always freezing.
Riley
Me: Yes to all three. But I'm still nervous. What if I info-dump and everyone's eyes glaze over?
Mia
Then they'll be getting exactly what they came for - your brilliant brain spilling code secrets. Besides, didn't you say this was a technical panel?
Riley
Me: Yeah, but there's still the networking part after. The mingling. The small talk. The "let me give you my card" dance.
Three dots appear as Mia types, disappear, then reappear.
Mia
You know what Mom would say.
I do know. I type it before she can:
Riley
"Just be yourself, Riley. The right people will appreciate you."
Mia
Exactly. And she was right. Look at your online community—they love you for your direct, no-BS approach.
She has a point. Online, I'm respected. My GitHub repositories have hundreds of stars. My technical blog has actual subscribers. In the digital world, my communication style is an asset—clear, precise, thorough. It's only in person that things get complicated.
Riley
Online is different. I can edit before I hit send.
Mia
You'll be fine. Talk about code like you always do. Let your passion show. And if anyone's weird about it, screw 'em.
Riley
Very helpful, thanks.
Mia
That's what big sisters are for. Now go to sleep, you gremlin.
Riley
Soon. One more bug to squash.
Mia
I set my phone down and turn back to my monitor, but the code still isn't cooperating. With a sigh, I open a new browser tab and search "Comic-Con artisan demonstrations." Maybeknowing what to expect in the decompression area will help with the anxiety.
Several links appear, including a feature on the convention's "Maker's Row", the outdoor section where artists will demonstrate their crafts. There's a glass blower, a blacksmith, and—I click on the next link—a chainsaw carver named Dean Evans.
