Recently, I attended a “Meet the Pros” gathering at a local archery shop. There were a lot of Professional archers at the event. Sadly, I didn’t meet any of them.
One I already knew, have shot with him and been teamed with him. He’s good and ranked number one in the world in his class. We exchanged nods from a distance. Of the other Pros I only recognized two of them. Of those two, I knew the name of one because I could read it on his shirt. (I still don’t know who the other one is.)
I didn’t stay at the event long. I’d ordered Chinese take food at the restaurant next door and I was starving. I hung around as long as my stomach allowed.
I was pleased that the shop had such a large turn out to meet the Pros. The Pros were there, sitting in a line behind a barricade of tables.
I felt awkward in approaching the tables, leaning over, and trying to initiate a conversation. I couldn’t bring myself to waltz the line in front of the seated Pros, extend a hand and say, “Hi, I’m David Lain. Who are you?” I suppose I could have read their names on their sublimated jerseys. Then, I could have said, “Hi, I’m David Lain, I see you are ‘Bo Anarrow’.” From that social adventure I remained apart.
Rather than talk with the moated Pros I talked with the fans and spectators that were milling about the room. Whether or not the Professional archers might have been interesting conversationalist I don’t know. However, the fans and spectators where a pleasure and full of warm conversation.
For me, and perhaps had I hung around things might have been different, the event could have been “Hang Out with some Local Archers” and I’d have been happy.