Flashback Friday: That time you meet your next inspiration at Club Monaco

It's almost immediately after work and I'm casually strolling into Club Monaco on Walnut street. Not for an upscale shopping jaunt, but because yesterday, while scrolling through Instagram during a rare free moment, I saw that one of my favorite artists and bloggers, Garance Doré, was having her book signing.

Here.

In Philadelphia.

And I geeked.

I expected a flooded sidewalk, but was pleasantly surprised as I simply walked into the store, greeted the bookseller, paid my $30 ( I know, I know, I'm on a no buy, but I don't consider this shopping. It's more like required reading.) and stood in line. 

After a while (and listening in on a few people complaining about the wait (Philadelphians are notoriously impatient and at the same time we are always late. Considering this woman's celebrity as both as a pace setter and a history maker in blogging, I expected to wait, wearing a very comfortable outfit, but like I said, I was pleasantly surprised about how relatively short the wait was.) I overheard that the reason why things were taking "so long" was because Garance was chit-chatting with everyone. 

Wait a minute. She's actually taking the time to talk to every person in this line? (As my pastor would say "Put a pin here", I'm coming back to this point soon.) So what do you talk about with a person who is where you want to be? A rockstar of your industry? A pioneer of your vocation?

I would have to think soon because as I rounded the second corner, there she was.

Soon, it was my turn. I fought the impending shyness rising up in me. I took a deep breath and told myself to just be myself.

After I greet her and sit next to her, she says "I used to have my hair long enough for a bun like that. And then one day, I just cut it off."

"And it looks fly." I said. Well, because it was! I didn't expect anything else. 

"And these eyebrows." She replied looking just above my eye line. "Yes. Very fly." (Insert internal geek out here, when a woman that is considered the "guardian angel of fashion" complements your brows. Thank you Jesus.)

So what do you talk about when you've been given a moment of one of the top professionals in an arena you're currently growing in?

Well, for me, while I respect this woman's gangster, I felt as comfortable with Garance as I would with anyone. It was just us two, two women who both loved written word, beautiful things, and style. We cracked jokes (because, well, I'm a goof and laugher, in my humble opinion is the best way to break any ice) I asked her about her time in Philly. She told me it wasn't her first visit. 

Then she asked me what I did. Yikes. Do I tell her the truth, that I'm just a mild mannered nanny during the week, Sunday school teacher, and a amateur blogger (I mean compared to her, with over 10 years in the game) or do I fake, which I'm sure many people have and would do. 

I chose to be honest. And to my surprise, she treated my jobs as if I told her I was the owner of some great company. She was attentive, engaged, and interested, and I felt way more at ease, grateful I took the truthful way out.

She then, as she opened my newly purchased copy of her book (yeah I'll confess about that later in the November No-Buy update in a few days) asked me about my blog and I told her the name. She paused, as though I said something revolutionary, her eyes moving from the signature page to me. "Oh, I like that." She said. And my heart nearly burst. Garance Doré liked the name of my blog! "That's a good name." she continued.  "That's a name that can grow. Some people choose blog names and they are too specific, that they cannot go anywhere with it. Yours is good."

After explaining what it was about, she stopped her sharpy signature and looked back at me. "That is needed!" She exclaims "So many people need to learn how to put things together that are affordable. Definitely needed." 

Following a few more jokes, a few snaps and parting remarks, (and a complement to my Forever 21 bucket bag) I was treated to a small bouquet of white flowers wrapped in black paper (how chic!).

And I left, passing a long line of readers and respectors, waiting for their turn to have a chat with Ms Doré. I was immediately inspired, scribbling all I could remember in my handy notebook. I felt empowered and emboldened, and, for such a short meeting, Garance taught me so many lessons.

The biggest of these lessons: Stay humble. This woman has traveled the world, met the play makers of style and become one herself. And yet she took the time to speak to every single person for a few minutes at her book signing. She simply could have churned out signatures with her sharply and exquisite penmanship. Instead, she chose to engage, treating each person as though she came to this city to meet them. 

You're never too big or too great to treat another human being like a human being. These and other  lessons (to be revealed soon in upcoming posts) I will cherish for the rest of my writing career and definitely for my life.

Thanks Garance.