On Saturday I experienced my first-ever Kentucky Derby party. I was surprised that more men wore hats than women, but it was kind of a hipster crowd and I suspect that the straw, fedora-like fare was really their regular wear.
My ukulele teacher has a cool party pad in Mt. Washington and every year he opens up his home for the Derby party, where people can bet on the horse of their choice and hope for a piece of the pot. He had said in years past you could snag a horse for $7- $8 bucks. Not this year! The auction began and the hardcore gamblers were out in force. The pot grew to well over $800 bucks, with auction bids ranging from $27-$80. Which means cheapskate here didn't get a horse. I had fun waving my hand during the auction, though, and acting like a hotshot bidder. As if.
I really didn't know anyone at this party, so yes, it was work to reach out to people who already were all friends. I connected early on with a couple of guys, one in particular who was a bright-eyed, kind environmentalist with a rust-colored beard and one of the aforementioned hats. While we were talking, something interesting happened, which I suspect happens quite a lot out there, but not in the circles I run in, where people are generally considerate and polite.
Two women moved into the middle of our conversation, pulled up chairs, and placed themselves right in between me and the two guys, as if I wasn't even here. This was mid-conversation. They hijacked the show and turned their backs to me and completely ignored me. Shut me out. I was actually more intrigued than annoyed. What makes a sister treat another sister so poorly? Feeling threatened? It seemed purely instinctual and animalistic. Most of the other people at the party were pretty groovy.
Don't worry. Rusty Beard sought me out later and we finished our conversation. Rudeness never pays with people worth your time, Ladies....
My ukulele teacher has a cool party pad in Mt. Washington and every year he opens up his home for the Derby party, where people can bet on the horse of their choice and hope for a piece of the pot. He had said in years past you could snag a horse for $7- $8 bucks. Not this year! The auction began and the hardcore gamblers were out in force. The pot grew to well over $800 bucks, with auction bids ranging from $27-$80. Which means cheapskate here didn't get a horse. I had fun waving my hand during the auction, though, and acting like a hotshot bidder. As if.
I really didn't know anyone at this party, so yes, it was work to reach out to people who already were all friends. I connected early on with a couple of guys, one in particular who was a bright-eyed, kind environmentalist with a rust-colored beard and one of the aforementioned hats. While we were talking, something interesting happened, which I suspect happens quite a lot out there, but not in the circles I run in, where people are generally considerate and polite.
Two women moved into the middle of our conversation, pulled up chairs, and placed themselves right in between me and the two guys, as if I wasn't even here. This was mid-conversation. They hijacked the show and turned their backs to me and completely ignored me. Shut me out. I was actually more intrigued than annoyed. What makes a sister treat another sister so poorly? Feeling threatened? It seemed purely instinctual and animalistic. Most of the other people at the party were pretty groovy.
Don't worry. Rusty Beard sought me out later and we finished our conversation. Rudeness never pays with people worth your time, Ladies....
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