So I disappeared for the weekend. Hopefully y'all were enjoying being with family and friends and outside doing Memorial Day Weekend type activities to notice. I also left up kind of an elitist last post over the weekend. Which brings me to my most recent epiphany.

I returned home to Wenatchee from my first USST camp in Bend. I got to know my fellow USST members a little better and found no one that I wouldn't want to get to know better. The Linds(a/e)ys weren't there, being busy getting Lindsey Weier married off in Marquette, MI, I believe. So I found my teammates to be very fascinating, multi-talented, friendly people. (And I would say the same thing if the Lindsaeys were there-- I don't want my timing of saying they were absent to be misconstrued!) Despite my appreciation of the USST, the USST doesn't exactly have the friendliest reputation. Which made me realize, sadly, that (ready for the epiphany?) all I have to do to be considered unfriendly is not be actively friendly. Being on the USST comes with more baggage than lactate testing. I don't have to frown or grimace at people for them to think that I'm mean-- I just have to NOT smile. Ack! It's frightening. I've spent most of my recent athletic career trying NOT to be intimidating and wearing USST gear is definitely not going to help that pursuit. I realized this week that I can't be shy anymore, because if you're shy and fast then you're a snob (or other unsavory names). This epiphany does make me feel a little pressured to improve my social skills.