Popularity

Back in school I used to think there were three groups of people when it came to popularity. The first were the actual popular kids. They would throw the parties, or at least be invited. They were the in crowd. The second was the middle level. They were the ones that knew the party was happening and might crash it or not but they were in the know. They probably split 50 / 50 on whether they had ambition to move up to the popular group or just be content with who they were but, regardless, they knew what was going on. Then there was the last group. Some people call them outcasts but to me even outcasts have a form of known popularity, sort of an anti-popularity. The last group is the one that only found out the party happened when they heard people talking about it on Monday morning before class.

I always classified myself in the third group but the truth is I was actually my own subcategory, a three and a half. The popular kids would throw the party, the semi populars would know it was happening, the unpopular ones would hear about it on Monday and then when they were discussing it on Wednesday I would learn it had happened. Being in the loop was never something I was great at. Perhaps that is why I focused so much on networking as I got older. At least I would be in the know.

I see events happening in my author circles and contact people to find out how to get involved but those events are full already. I never knew they existed and somehow they filled before I had a chance. I asked a friend about one of them and got a response from another author that the event was full and it was being organized by her friend so I probably wouldn't be able to participate. Once again not being popular enough cost me the chance to do something I would have loved to do. I am still that shy, never quite popular enough to be in the loop, little girl.

There is a saying, those who can't do, teach. Well those not popular enough to get invited to events plan their own. I am doing my best to turn over a new leaf and use what I have learned from knowing the people popular enough to actually be invited and plan my own events that will hopefully someday make me and what I do known as well. It can be hard sitting at the loser table (I know, I have permanent reservations) but sometimes those that always out doing something have time to sit and plan something big. Look out world, popularity or not, someday I will find my spotlight.