I Need A Do-Over

Ever have one of those moments you wish you could get back? If you read my last post, I said I was worried about going all 'fan-boy' on John Maxwell, a hero of mine and the speaker at this dinner I was invited to before the Thrive Conference. So now, hours after the event, I can share the news:

• Good News - I didn't fan-boy on him. I was cool, calm and collected. I did notice that he's amazing at working the room, totally saw him connecting before he communicated (yes, I'm buying his new book!), and when he did speak, he was powerful, poignant, pertinent and whatever p-word means "he encouraged the daylights out of me!!" It was great to be there, to see him do his thing, to hear him pump up a room full of leaders, and leave us all wanting more.
• Bad News - I believe I now understand the phrase "Epic Fail" in a personal way. Let me explain:

My friend John Jackson is one of the key leaders of this event, and he had saved me a seat with him at one of the front tables. I walked over, and there were indeed three seats saved. I assumed (rightly) that one was for me, one for John Jackson, but I wasn't sure who the other one was for. So after introductions, they dismissed us to go through the line and get food. I did, and soon I'm eating with the other three guys at the table. John J. was still talking, so I was still sitting next to two empty but saved seats.

So when John Maxwell walked over to the table and looked at the empty seat... it happened so fast... I couldn't believe it was over before I could take it back... I'm such a rule follower... GGGHHHHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

John Maxwell asked if he could sit at the table with us, and I said, "I'm sorry, but John Jackson was saving those seats, and I don't know who they are for, Mr. Maxwell."

Like I said. Epic Fail.

He was gracious and kind, walked to another table and proceeded to enrich the lives of everyone there while I sat and drank my iced tea and wallowed in my epic fail-ness. John Jackson came over and sat down, and yes, he had wanted to save that seat for someone else, but that person never sat down, and he would have been okay... I'm going to stop there.

So, like I said. I didn't fan-boy. Nope. Not me. I obeyed social etiquette to a fault. A huge, epic fail of a fault.

Sigh...

The talks were great, I got a lot out of them, then went to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. More on THRIVE tomorrow.