Growing up, most of my role models were schoolteachers. There was my high school band director, who could make me cry and earn my respect all at the same time. There was my AP chem teacher who managed to be brilliant, funny and strict simultaneously, and made me love science. In college, there were the directors of student publications – one of whom has passed and the other who has remained a friend for the last ten years.
I’ve never looked up to celebrities. There’s never been an actress or politician or singer who made me stop and give things in my life a second look. I had favorite writers, sure, but none that I truly identified with. None whose hand I would be so excited to shake.
Until I discovered Jenny Lawson – The Bloggess.
Jenny writes a lot. You can find her here and here. She’s big time, big stuff.
The way she puts words together makes me think of a juggler. A juggler on stilts. A juggler on stilts juggling chainsaws. That are on fire.
It shouldn’t make sense. It’s probably dangerous. But it’s amusing and exhilarating and it speaks to me just about every time.
I wish I had the courage to write like her. I wish I could lay myself bare, take the chances, “open that vein” for my readers.
Jenny writes with humor about her family, her hobbies and her illnesses. She makes videos like this that make me want to hug her.
When I read that she was writing a book, I knew I’d be getting a copy. I just didn’t know how awesome the events surrounding that acquisition would be.
It began with an email from my semi-retired lawyer/librarian uncle. The one I wrote about here.
“The Bloggess is in town for a book signing,” it said. “I don’t know if you read her.”
I wrote back something to the effect of how I’d sell an organ to be able to see her read and sign books in Houston that day.
My uncle assured me that no such surgery should take place, and bid me wait and see.
Then my aunt called that evening to tell me that my uncle had gone down to the bookstore, reserved a copy of the book for me, and was planning to actually go see The Bloggess himself the next night.
I flipped.
And they went – my uncle and my aunt in their fifties, fine, upstanding church goers that they are. They went to hear The Bloggess and meet her in person. I was a little nervous. Jenny drops F bombs and talks about, well, un-deaconly things and I was thinking that my respectable kin might be appalled.
Turns out they were pretty much as excited as I was.
Look, y’all. That is my aunt standing right there with The Bloggess. Two of my heroines.
Photo courtesy of the coolest aunt and uncle on the frickin’ planet
They called me afterward to tell me how funny she was, how real, how friendly. They laughed about her reading of “The Psychopath On The Other Side of the Bathroom Door.” I loved them so much right then, I wanted to teleport through the phone to be beside them in the car as they giggled their way home.
I waited by the mailbox for the next few days and was rewarded yesterday with this.
Not only did my uncle have the book signed and sent to me, but he mailed along some funny goodies in his signature manila envelope.
I haven’t the foggiest idea what to do with The Bloggess on a stick, but I bet it will come in handy with things like solicitors and other annoying people. Nope, don’t want to talk to you. Talk to The Bloggess.
But it gets even better. Yesterday my grandparents were in Houston to visit MD Anderson. My grandmother has been living with a blood disease for the last couple of years, and she visits this awesome treatment facility pretty frequently.
While she was waiting to see her doctor, she read out loud parts of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened to my family as they waited with her.
And this is where I started to cry. My grandmother is a testimony of love, strength and endurance, but I know things are beginning to taking their toll on her, mentally and physically. To know that she was sitting in that hospital, carrying on with her treatment and evaluations that are obviously not any fun and that she was laughing her granny ass off at the irreverence of it all – well, it made me sad that I couldn’t be there as well but it also made me so grateful.
So I tweeted to The Bloggess, who was kind enough to follow me back on Twitter when I started with all that silliness last year, and she wrote back. And I wanted to hug her again.
Squee! I’ll take a picture with twine for her anytime.
*Aunt Jan and Uncle Mark: Thank you for doing this for me. Thank you for being invested in me and taking the time to understand my interests. Thank you for taking such good care of all of us every time we’re in need. I miss you, I love you both so much, and I’ll see you soon.
That is so awesome! And The Bloggess is so absolutely awesome!! I am so glad she was able to lift your grandma’s spirits.
I cannot in any way, shape or form afford the price tag of a hardcover right now but am hoping it comes out in paperback soon. I actually had time to kill at the mall the other day and decided to spend it in the bookstore reading some of the book. People were looking at me all weird because I was crying, that is how hard I was laughing. I had opened the book at random and landed on the chapter where she is relating stories from her job in HR. I cannot imagine there is a funnier chapter in the book
I’m waiting until I have a whole afternoon to read it. It’s like putting away the good chocolate bar for when you really need it.
DAMN, that woman is awesome.
And so are you.
Which means I’m thinking that your aunt, uncle and grandmother are pretty awesome, too.
So thanks for sharing this Jenny anecdote. It’s lovely when someone finds success who is genuinely talented, hard-working and kind. (Not that I hate Snooki. But I do.)
Anyway, great story, my friend.
No wonder The Bloggess follows you…
p.s. I have some ideas for Bloggess on a stick if you want to meet up.
You know what, Ms. Gardner? I think we need to collaborate on this Bloggess-on-a-stick thing.
This had me in tears. It’s just the coolest thing ever, and so is your family.
I totally cried while writing it. No lie. I hope one day you get to meet my family. I know they love you for keeping me sane lately.
What an awesome post! I’m grinning from ear to ear for all of you!!!
Thanks, Ali!
Awwww, she truly is amazing. I was trying to be all fiscally responsible and not get her book right away but yesterday just sucked hard and so I downloaded it and have been laughing my depressed ass off!
How cool is it that she tweeted you!!!
Good for you for giving yourself a prize for surviving a sucky day! (And I know, I squealed. Loudly.)
Yay! I love it when people are real, despite their status. I really wanted to go see her here in Austin, but couldn’t swing it. I almost peed my pants when she followed me on Twitter.
I think much of her awesomeness comes from her Texan-ness. Right? Right. And of course she follows you on Twitter. You’re “A nice person” and not a Klouchebag.
Laughter is the best medicine so your Gram is way ahead of the game!!
She’s one in seven billion. For sure.
I love her. And this post!
I guess I loved the sappiness of it all. Because this just made me cry. I’m so happy your grandmother was able to laugh like that in the waiting room. And that The Bloggess was able to do that for her. She’s pretty amazing and I can’t wait to read her book!
I remember thinking how proper my Meme was growing up. Now I enjoy seeing the side of her that laughs at inappropriate humor!
And, also…your aunt and uncle are awesome!!
They are. I hit the jackpot in the family department.
So awesome! And definitely makes me want to read her book.
I hope you get to!
You have the most awesomesauce family ever. What an amazeballs experience. Now I think I need to get that book.
You used awesomesauce and amazaballs in the same comment. If you’d said assy, you’d have made the TwixenTwitterspeakTrifecta.
Yeah, and get the book. DOOOO IT.
Do you think your aunt and uncle would like one more niece? I’m available!
They’ve always been pretty receptive to anyone I’ve brought by!
What an awesome post! I need to get my ass on the bandwagon and read the book!
It’s a nutty bandwagon. Just so you’re aware. There’s oversharing. And talk of pooping.
–Abundantly COOL and Groovy and all of that stuff….!! <3 WOW. xxx
Haha, I love that you say groovy, Kim.
Alright now YOU get out of my head already! We don’t need celebrity crushes (and I never had one either), because we are awesome.
However, it sounds like The Bloggess is pretty awesome as well. As are your aunt, uncle and grandma!
LOVE this post and I think you were a little bit on fire there as well!
Sometimes I spontaneously combust. It isn’t pretty.
Dear sweet. talented niece, You made me cry. Again. I love your blog and today’s was no different. You have such a gift. I look forward to reading them so when I see one, I read it slowly, then I read the comments and then I go back and reread the blog. It makes me feel closer to you. It was such fun to share your world for one night. I would have given anything to have you there with us. We love you. Keep on blogging!
Like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like
Haha! You are silly, B. And AJ, thanks for all the encouragement!
That’s really cool! I love it when famous people are genuine and nice.
I was reading on Flourish in Progress how Liz ran into Denzel Washington and he was so nice. I was jealous for a moment and then I was like, yeah, but did he sign a book for you?
So fun that they went to get the book signed for you! I haven’t read it yet, but I want to!
Oh, I bet you would really enjoy it. A somewhat guilty pleasure.
I need to get my hands on this book. That was so nice of your aunt and uncle to do that for you.
She’s giving away a copy on her blog today! Give it a shot!
Awesome! I’m in the middle of it now- she’s hilarious and raw and honest and everything every blogger should aspire to be.
Your relatives ROCK.
Thanks for not posting spoilers! I’m still waiting for the perfect day to read the book.
I love that your aunt and uncle did this for you. They may be the cutest aunt and uncle ever.
I save books too. It makes it even more special.
I love how open they are to things! My uncle has entire rooms full of books that I slip notes into, claiming them as mine one day if he ever gets rid of them. This time, I got my own copy! Ha!
Wow! What an incredible family you have!
I may have to check out the book too if it had your gran laughing like that!
Hah, we’re like a family of badgers, really. But that’s a whole other post.
Definitely give the book a look!
This is the best story ever! I also LOVE the BLOGESS!! Your aunt and uncle are the bomb-diggity!
This definitely goes in the book of happy memories!
That is really a great story! I am always wondering what the hell is wrong with Nathan Fillion, I mean seriously. Doesn’t he know that at this point Jenny maybe more famous than him?
Her career is certainly still on an upward slope, whereas I can’t say the same for him! Cmon, Nathan. Turn it around with twine!
So, hang on. Your aunt and uncle had never heard of The Bloggess but went to her reading because YOU like her? And then they, of course, fell in love with her? And now your gran is in on the Bloggess action? That is extremely cool. I like that “let’s see what this is all about” kind of attitude A LOT. I’m insprired to be more like your family.
My uncle had heard of her a few times from reading the Chronicle. But yeah, the rest is pretty much how it happened! There’s a lot of curiosity and open-mindedness in my family. We don’t like to miss out on awesome.
Oh how exciting! And what great kin you have!
I really want to read that book!