On Being Recognized

Earlier in the morning as we walked with our children through the Pittsburgh Zoo, she caught my attention.  Although we never had met before, there was such a familiarity and friendliness about her face that I immediately smiled.  I noticed that she wore cute dangly earrings.

Over an hour later as we wound our way through the aquarium, our paths crossed again.  Once more, we smiled.  As our kids ran ahead, I complimented her earrings.  She thanked me, paused momentarily, and asked, “Do you write Pink Dryer Lint?”
It was the first time that I’ve been recognized in public by a reader.  Neither of us had been on our home turf; she was from North Carolina and I was in Pittsburgh for the weekend to visit family.  And somehow, in between the polar bear and the shark exhibits, we briefly had connected.

It’s hard to express how tickled -- how humbled -- I felt.
I wish that I could meet each of you in person -- to see the faces that view Pink Dryer Lint from the other side of the screen.  In person, I could admire your earrings, laugh alongside of you when your kid colors his face with chalk, and commiserate when you exit the grocery store and discover that the minivan in the parking lot with its side door wide open – the one that you assume belongs to a frazzled, absent-minded mother – is actually your van.  (Been there, just this past week.)

Most of all, I'd thank you for reading. 
Since it’s unlikely that I’ll bump into the majority of you in person, let me thank you here, now.  It’s an honor that you let me share parts of my life with you -- the glorious, the mundane, the heartbreaking, the humorous. 

I thank God for the opportunity to write, and I never take it for granted that you read.
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10 comments

  1. oh, nice! I've never been sure if it would seem creepy or stalkerish if I did recognize someone from their blog, so it's nice to know that for you, at least, it was a pleasant surprise. =)

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  2. EliotseatsMay 30, 2013

    What a great story! I think I would have felt a bit creepy approaching someone. (However, I can't be recognized b/c I use the cat as my alias/avatar!) :)

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  3. How awesome!!! I would love to meet some of my blogger friends in person!

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  4. veronicaleeMay 31, 2013

    I have yet to meet a blogger buddy in person!

    Hi! Stopping by from Mom Bloggers Club. Great blog!

    Have a nice day!

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  5. surprise mamaMay 31, 2013

    I am looking forward to meeting some blogger friends in person someday. What a nice story!

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  6. Francie DorichMay 31, 2013

    It was so fun to meet you! And, yes, I wondered if I might appear stalker-ish, but figured it was worth that risk to connect. Thanks for writing what so many of us are experiencing as Moms to precious little ones. And thanks for noticing my earrings. :)

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  7. Francie, the pleasure was all mine, and rest assured: you weren't stalker-ish in the least! I'm so glad you said something! :)

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  8. Ah, the cat serves as a useful decoy, eh? :)

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  9. Yes, it was a pleasant surprise. I'm sure the manner of approach is what makes or breaks it. A friendly young mom with kids recognizing you = not creepy. But if a middle-aged, scary-looking man said he followed the blog, that would be pretty creepy. ;)

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