No one died.

After Thought:

We know each other because of video games but after that we are unavoidably people.  Some people were there for friendship, some were there for escape, some were there for romance and I’m not sure entirely why I was there.  Not to say I didn’t enjoy myself or didn’t want to be there but to a certain extent I felt like my presence was right.  Team Interrobang is something I helped found and I would have a hand in its social life for as long as I could manage.  One of my core values is to promote human connection.  It doesn’t take a lot for me to feel alone and part of me thinks that if I create a social group large enough that feeling will simply disappear.  Either I haven’t or it doesn’t but other people are ultimately the source of all my avenues to happiness.  This is something that I don’t believe I can re-tune in the same way I won’t be able to convince my lungs to work on methane so I will continue to hold out my hand and say “may we have an adventure?” to those in my life.  Chad, Alex, Ryan, Ken, Suzie, Dallas, Cody, Ty, Mike, Steve, Rachael, Chris, Ben, John, Audrey, Marcus, and Peter took that hand and for that my life is richer.

22 people came from various places for various reasons to get together as Team Interrobang in St. Louis.  Of those that stayed the whole weekend, only one was new to me and most I had seen in some capacity since our previous giant get together last year in Cincinnati.  As Suzie commented to me “Cincinnati was the meet-up, St. Louis was the reunion” And I think this was an astute observation.  Most had driven in with the closest being St. Louis residents and the most distant being Steve and Rachael McMackin from Tucson, Az but we were all in good enough spirits to go out to dinner, and then go swimming, and then do a bit of drinking.

At the hotel there was a bouncer in a rather nice suite guarding an elevator.  I was waiting to meet up with someone who was late, so I asked the bouncer a few questions:

Me: So, what are you doing?
Him: We have a rooftop club, and I keep out people who shouldn’t be there.
Me: Like who?
Him: People that are already drunk, mostly.  Tonight, we have a special guest and I want to keep out the riff-raff and gawkers.
Me: Who’s that?
Him: One of the Kardashians.
Me: I thought you said you’re goal is to keep out the riff-raff?
Him: *smile* Unless you’re famous for being riff-raff.  But I didn’t say that.  Hey, you like to take pictures?
Me: I do.
Him: If you get some slacks and come back later, I’ll let you in.
Me: *text message from someone who’s lost* Thank you, but I’m here for other reasons.

I stood around for a bit and I saw the bouncer reject some seemingly sober, very well dressed people.  I don’t know if he was being nice or just trying to keep the club full but the consideration was flattering.

I went to bed early that evening.  It had been a 40-hour day and I tend to wear down quickly at meet-ups as there’s a constant Do-While loop running asking “is everyone ok?”.  Team Interrobang had made it to St. Louis, and we had made it to 4 years old.