Day 2: trying again with rollarblades, (just do it), vulpes vulpes, one thing better

After a very (very) depressing first day, I think I was able to get something to work.

Day One if you weren’t there I went out with a bag of books and I was like: “Hopefully I’ll be able to give all these out.”

“Hopefully people will say I would love to pay some money for that book that you have in your hand.”

That was my vision. I also envisioned that someone would be recording and capture some viral content, which would (subsequently!) gain me a million followers on TikTok and Instagram, which would (subsequently!!!!!!) lead to a book deal with Penguin.

So yeah, I got high hopes and dreams.

Probably too high. Alas. Day 2? I had a better day. I made a plan of what I was actually going to post on Instagram and TikTok, though I haven’t done that yet… But it was helpful to write out different ideas of exactly what I could post on each day, to ground it in reality a little bit.

I also decided I was going to try to give away a book again, and that went really well. I put on some rollerblades. I feel my best when I am on my rollarblades. Rollarblades make me into exactly the person I want to be. I don’t know why, but when I am on my rollarblades, life feels like one cool, smooth dance. Except when you wipeout. Which also happens.

Anyway, there was something about being on rollarblades – something about being in a different space as the other person– that I think made it easier to go up to them.

I’m rollerblading by this guy, and I have a book in my hand (this weird, stupid-ass book in my hand) and I’m thinking: “if this doesn’t go well, I’ll just zoom along, no harm no foul! It’s not cringy! And no worries if this doesn’t go well. It’s actually NOT going to go well. But it’s going to be over. It’s (definitely!) going to end. And that’ll work for me.”

It’s sort of weird if someone is coming up to you and, you know, interacting with you. You’re a stranger, that’s weird. If you’re a stranger, and you’re just busting out a conversation with somebody, you gotta make it really clear up front that you are not a weirdo. Humans of New York guy talks about this a bit. About the energy that he brings, and how people can pick up on it when he gets it right (or wrong).

But I think people are more open to it if there’s going to be a natural ending point. You want to see if there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s easier to engage if there’s some promise of closure.

Actually, now that I think of it, I think David Sedaris talks about this a little bit in the How to Write podcast, which I’ve been seeing all the time. This guy has all these great writers on it, and it’s so… it clips so hard. I haven’t really listened to it, but I’ve seen a bunch. Anyway, Sedaris talks about how to interact with strangers, and how he always complements someone’s clothes if they have great clothes (which I love). But he makes sure he has an exit strategy. So he doesn’t make it weird.

Anyway, I blade up to this guy, he’s about to cross the street, and I just hand him the book and said, “Here you go, brother.” Looking very serious (read: nervous), but I tried to make it look like I was very serious.

And I thought that would be funny in and of itself given the book is called, You’re Going to Shit Yourself.

I just handed it out and bladed by. I waited until I was pretty far away before looking back.

I don’t know what the worst case scenario would have been. I think trashing it would have been bad. Or him flipping me off and then trashing it or something. But he looked back at me and then sort of held it up over his head, and I did the same, and my brain smash-cutted us into that scene from Fantastic Mr. Fox (Vulpes vulpes - beautiful creatures!), and yeah it did, it felt pretty great.

One thing that I’m going to try to do here is just improve a little bit every day. I think this is on the right track if I get progresively goofier. Right after giving this book to this guy I wished I was wearing some, like, matrix sunglasses or something. Or maybe just swim goggles. Like black swim goggles.

Also?! I wish I’d written a little note in his book. Certainly this person has a way of getting in contact with me (I put my name on the book, this website, etc etc). But yeah! I think it’d be so fun if someone reached back out - I’m just wondering like… what they’re experience of this is haha. So random and weird - but ultimately, I’m hoping it makes them laugh just a little bit.

On to the next one.