In preparation for the conference I'm practicing talking to other people. It sounds silly, doesn't it? But I'm not good with strangers. My instinct is always to finish whatever business we're transacting and then walk off. Not the best tactic for a mixer, when the purpose is to actually talk. I'm also working more on listening, and asking questions. Usually I get nervous, start thinking about how people see me, and forget the other person altogether in the midst of my anxiety. It becomes All About Me, which is hardly attractive. I'm tired of the Sharon Show. Really, really, really sick of it. It's kind of a bitchy show anyway. There are better things out there. At least with strangers I don't have to worry about what my traitorous hands are doing without my permission, which was always a huge problem around R. I'm pretty sure I can keep my hands to myself for four days.