First, I will be revealing two new features on my blog sometime this week. Yes, I am taking the time now to talk it up, it's just that big. The last several months, I have been driven to continue this blog, in large part, in order to make this big reveal. It's very close to my heart and will provide a topic of discussion once in a while. Please make sure you don't miss this.
But don't get too excited. You might not think it's that great. In fact, I'm pretty sure you won't think it's as great as I do. But that's the point of blogging, right?
It's also a big week because I'm going to the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta this week. It's a pretty big deal.
While I'm there, I'll get to meet a bunch of people I look up to; some 'famous' people you might say. I'm pretty excited to meet Jon Acuff from Stuff Christians Like. His blog was a big reason I got started blogging...I don't know if that's a credit to him or not. Last winter, my wife predicted that I'd meet him this year; so now, almost a year after I started blogging, I'll meet one of my big inspirations. I'm trying to rehearse how I'll act when I meet him. Right now, I'm thinking something like this would be appropriate...
I'm also going to the Blogger Meetup Wednesday night, which should be pretty cool. I think there's about five bloggers that the other 95 of us are hoping to meet. I'm on the 'C' list. I'm like the Paulie Shore of blogging. I don't think anyone who will be there has read my blog, or knows who invited me.
So this is a big field trip for me. I don't get to go to lots of conferences, because I work, two jobs to be exact. I don't get to go visit trendy churches and blog to you about how 'amazing' they are, and how 'sold out' the people are to the vision either. I just do my thing in my little corner of the world. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. I'm an outsider, and I like being able to blog from an outsider's perspective, if you haven't noticed.
I'll go and meet these people, and it will be cool. But they're just people. Sure, they're awesome people. But I always imagine that people I haven't met are taller than me, which almost always turns out wrong. I'm 6'1". So most people will be shorter than I imagine. They'll turn out to just be regular people doing their thing in their own little corner, just like I'm doing. I won't emerge at the end of three days as a famous person just because I hope I can become famous by osmosis.
I'll come home and my wife and I will have a pretty nice little Saturday. We're going to go to Home Depot, check out some wallpaper, some flooring. Stuff like that, maybe go to Bed Bath and Beyond, I don't know if we'll have enough time.
Have you ever met a famous person? Did they live up to their name? Were they as tall as you imagined? Anyone else going to Catalyst? What should I do when I meet all my blogging heroes?
16 people say amen!:
Hi Matt,
A few comments: First, if Kathy Griffin is on the D-list, then there's no way Paulie Shore is on the C-list. Actually, I think his name was removed from all lists after 1997.
Second, have a safe and blessed trip! Sounds like fun.
Third, I have met a few celebs- Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Kanye Mess, uh er, West- and they were all shorter than I imagined. Which is fine for me since I'm 5'2. :-)
The King is a big man, but he still can't eat his cookies with a shovel.
YES! I got to use that Hungarian proverb AGAIN! LOVE IT!
Oh yeah, my point. None of them are any better than you, Matt. Maybe different and more famous, but no better.
Have a safe trip. God be with you!
Matt, I could have written that post myself. If you are "C" list, then I am definitely "D" list. And even though I live in the ATL area, I have never met a lot of the local blog heroes who will be there too. I am looking forward to it. If nothing else, you and I can stand around and talk about how cool it is to be there.
A couple of brothers from our church wrote a worship song that Fee will be singing at Catalyst.
That's as close to famous people as I get.
I wish I was going... but I'm not anyone important…just one girl trying to set the world on fire for Jesus. But I am going to a Christian Writers Conference in 4 week. I know it won't be anywhere as uber-cool as Catalyst, but I'll meet fellow bloggers and if all the stars are aligned and God smiles down on me, I'll meet a publisher who can't wait to read my blog and publish my manuscript!
soiledwings.com
I would love to go to Catalyst- hope it's a wonderful, blessed trip for you.
Also, should we start calling you Matt the Tank?
I was at Catalyst last year but didn't have the time to make it to the Blogger expo.. I think Pete Wilson and Flowerdust were both there last year.
If I had the time to be at this year's catalyst, I would make sure I stopped in to see you. At 6'4", I would help with some of you short perceptions. :)
I will say this, though, I have met 3 of the people that I have met in blogland. I visited Pete's church this past summer so I met him and Flowerdust at the same time. That was cool. And then Bill Grandi has a blog that I visit called Cycle Guy's Spin. He is a pastor in Indiana that blogs daily. He has a daughter that lives close to me so when he was in town, I made it a point to visit with him and his wife.
Both were cool events.
There are several more blogger friends that I hope to meet someday. Who knows.. maybe I will visit your church and you can change the name of your site to:
The church of 1 People. If I bring my family, then 4 people. At least for one day.
Oops... I forgot to mention the 'celebs' that I have met:
George Bush- The Elder One.
George Straight
Michael Damian
Mr. T
Neal McCoy
They were all short.... er than me :)
I am super excited about going to Catalyst also... this is my first year. Not going to blogger thing though.
I haven't really met anyone famous - unless you can count meeting Dr. Paul Bearer from Creature Feature back in the 80's
Jason, Matt the Tank would be awesome, but I promised my wife I wouldn't drink tonight...
Alisha, you're probably right. But it still stands - no one has seen Paulie Shore's movies, and no one knows who invited him. :)
Hey Matt! I would love to go to Catalyst sometime, and Jon Acuff would be the guy I would seek out too. He commented once on Transparent and I kinda freaked out a bit.
I interviewed Mitch McVicker and that was probably as close as I've been to a star, (and that dude was super great) except maybe Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (who?). I saw them at Gruhn Guitars in Nashville and tripped a little and almost fell into them (while they were carrying a bass cabinet). Very embarrassing.
Ricky Skaggs was at Kroger the other day, but I couldn't approach him... The "hey, he's just a dude like me" side, got into a fist fight with the "HOLY CRAP, that's the BEST MANDOLIN PLAYER IN THE WORLD" side... and I just walked away.
Alison Krauss was at a coffee house to hear some live music the other day, but I was too chicken to tell her how much I appreciated her too. I guess I'm not as good with celebrity as I thought. Oh, the lead singer of Petra - John Schlitt is a friend of a friend and I've met him a few times. Super nice guy and WAY taller than me.
Hope you have fun... Please report back!
I'm going to Catalyst (1st time!), but not until Thursday so I won't get to hear Jon Acuff speak. I hope you'll do a quick recap for those of us less privileged. I'm still hunting him down on Thursday for a BGB button though! I think this is my first comment on your site, but I've enjoyed what I've read the last couple of months. I pondered going to the Wed night blogger meetup but I feel like I'd be a poser because my blog has about 10 readers (I'm guessing because I don't get a lot of comments). Wow, that went too long and too personal. Have fun at Catalyst!
I will be sure to report back. Also, I didn't mention it because I'm sure no one will care that much, but I'll be giving out stickers to anyone who says hi to me at the conference. Supplies are limited, yet I don't think I'm going to run out.
Thats quite fair too.I mean its very important to know..
Sigh. Have fun. Report back.
I met Dustin Diamond once. He was pretty nice and taller than I expected. It was at a Girl Scout conference. In his defense, he was promoting a chess program, but I still the whole thing is funny.
As far as Pauly Shore movies:
My wife and I giggle our ways through son-in-law whenever it comes on tv.
I have seen Encino Man; Bio-Dome;Jury Duty; In the army now
Each more than once.
So don't be weezing on that crusty dude. :)
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