Friday, May 14, 2010

Told you I have phone phobia

I finally got in contact with Gwen Marston today for the article I am working on. Let me say that again: GWEN MARSTON. Who is, in my mind, one of the most fascinating, most influential quilters out there. She's been on the road for a while, and I happened to catch her at a good time.

I find interviews difficult on the phone, because I do so much better in person. I can read people's body language and get a feel for what kind of an interviewer I need to be to get the most out of them. When I talk to people in person, I usually have a hard time getting them to shut up.

But it always bothers me if I can't tell if someone is rolling their eyes or looking bored, plus I have to write down everything they say, which often creates long pauses while they wait for me to finish. Then I get the nervous habit of repeating what they just said as I'm writing it so they know that's what I'm doing, and I sound like a big idiot. Fortunately, by the time I call someone, I know enough about what I'm going to write and how it will all be structured, that I can get the quotes I need very quickly.

When I get nervous, I get flushed, but it doesn't look normal. It only appears on my neck and upper chest, and it looks like a goddamn rash.

This is what talking to Gwen Marston on the phone did to me:


Looks like I've either been rolling around in poison ivy or I ate some bad clams.

12 comments:

Nancy said...

OMG...I am the same way! I break out when I talk in front of a group...

Anne said...

benedryl cream. stat.

Beth said...

Better than looking like you rolled around in poison ivy WITH some bad clams.

Peg said...

Bless your heart! I'd say a bag of icy was in order to cool things off a bit....or maybe just drop the ice in a martini-over and clam your nerves that way.

Carolyn aka Silkquilter said...

I can sympathize with the flush. LOL. I am a redhead so I flush badly. My Mom ALWAYS knew when I'd been necking in the car. LOL. And like you, it is only on my chest and neck. I've heard it called a "passionate" flush. It seems to happen alot when I am discussing something that means a lot to me. Alcohol does it to me also. LOL.

Tall glass of iced tea is in order.

Sequana said...

Before I really read what you'd written about that pic, I thot it was the back of the head and neck of some kind of sumo wrestler......*L*

Carrie said...

That's too funny!

But it was Gwen Marston! How cool is that? Cooler still, I bet she'd find this pretty funny too.

Anonymous said...

Deborah says:

Ditto...Sequana's comment!

I don't think it's a coincidence that it's on your neck covering the area that provides you with a voice.

Maybe it would help if you explored the issue a little. Do you have any self-judgment around verbal communication? Were you ever embarrassed publicly as a child for using your voice?

In any case, it looks pretty uncomfortable and I hope it dissipates soon.

Thank goodness it doesn't affect your fingers! Then we'd all be suffering! (Swollen fingers = no typing = no blogs.) What a horrible thought!

Jane said...

My husband gets the same thing with the neck :) nerves!!

American Quilter's Society said...

Hi Megan,

A friend on our Facebook Fan Page listed your blog as her favorite quilting blog so we had to come for a visit. You have great projects and a lovely blog, keep up the good work- we hope to see more from you in the future!

www.aqsquiltnews.blogspot.com

Jake Finch said...

Now I know why we're so bonded!!! I get the same thing in the EXACT same place. But I get mine when I drink. ( It's permanent now, BTW.) Note to journo sis: phone interviews let you type conversations faster than writing. More accurate quotes, at least from these digits. You're coming to Market with us next time, some how, some way!!

kanishk said...

it is only on my chest and neck
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