Girl About O-Town

Last night, I ventured out to Ottawa’s first Blog Out Loud at the Raw Sugar Cafe.  Organized by Lynn of Turtlehead, this was a gathering of local bloggers and an occasion for more than a few brave volunteers to read one of their favourite posts to an audience of fans.  Not only was it a chance to put a voice to words, it was also an opportunity for those of us who lay out our lives online to meet face to face.

Photo by Milan Ilnyckyj.

Admittedly, I was too chicken to stand up in front of strangers –  so kudos for those courageous ones who did.  I guess I was worried that my girlaboutOtown musings wouldn’t measure up to the more raucous and revealing work of renowned local blogging bigshots like Andrea of Peek Inside the Fishbowl or Dani of Postcards from the Mothership (who by the way, are both downright delightful).  Anyway, I was just glad to be there, and to be a part of such a friendly, cool crowd.  Who knows, maybe next year I will muster up the nerve!

As it turns out however, I may have been guilty of a bit of a Blog Out Loud imposition.  Due to a doggie dish incident at the little girlaboutOtown’s Daddy’s house, she joined me unexpectedly at the event while he hopped over to the hospital for some much need stitches to his nearly severed finger.  (yuck!) 

The girl showed great adaptability and happily came along to hear the grown-ups go on.  Undeterred by a room full of adults, she promptly found herself a chair, a couple of crayons and a teeny tiny kraft paper pad upon which she captured her impressions.  Coerced into quietude with chocolate cake and all-natural apple juice, my little girlaboutOtown listened half heartedly and remained adequately distracted by her doodling. 

Photo by me.  Artwork by the little girlaboutOtown.

All was well. 

That is  -  until participants began telling their brilliantly funny, but bodacious and racy stories.  The laughter began and the tell tale “woo hoos” went up.  These were readings that had been not been chosen with children in mind, and these brave bloggers had not agreed to read on the basis of mixed company. 

All of a sudden I went from a cool mom to a cavalier one…  “Yikes!”, I thought as she calmly asked questions about certain words she’d  never heard, “it’s time to go home!”.  But what to say to a girl still gaining from the experience, all of sudden intensely interested, and insistent on staying to hear more?

In the end, we left a little too late to have prevented the inevitable discovery of a few dirty words, but early enough (I hope) to relieve those still left to read of their discomfort.

Sheesh.  Sorry all. 

For the full view, check out Raw Sugar’s Facebook page for extensive photo coverage provided by Milan Ilnyckyj of sindark.com.