AWP Kansas City: the magic

I like to pretend I have it all together. I'm organized. I'm strong. I'm efficient. I'm motivated. But I'm also anxious and very bad with directions and get frustrated easily. 

When I drove into Kansas City for a writing conference, from my sister's house in Raymore who we were staying with, I couldn't find the Convention Center. I drove in circles. My navigation kept telling me I had arrived. I thought, okay one of these big buildings has to be it. So I parked at the Lowe's hotel downtown so at least I would know where my car was parked. I looked across the street. Was that it? I asked the universe for help and kissed my black and silver Bowie bolt necklace. 

I decided to find someone for directions. A man walked by. He was white, good looking, had a beard and was carrying a tote bag so he was obviously a writer. He was nice but abrupt and just pointed across the street at a door. I went across the street and pulled at the door but it was locked. Then I saw another person, a young Indian man, walking right where I had been. I yelled across the lanes of street, "Hey, are you a writer?" 

He yelled back, "What?" I screamed back, "Where's AWP?" 

He held up a hand then ran across the street. He had a kind face and once he was close, he told me his name was Kiran Bhat and that he was a writer. He told me he was on his way to AWP too and had been by yesterday to find it and that he was happy to help guide me. We talked and walked. 

It turns out that I had been trying to open a door on the wrong side of the convention center. He had a panel at nine as well, one about using innovative ways to get writing out in the world for people of color. He told me he was serializing his novel on a site with a paywall. I told him he had to come on my podcast and gave him a card. He was so sweet and walked me all the way to registration. 

That's why sometimes even one's struggles can lead to gold and a chance encounter with another writing soul. I may have been lost but I asked the universe for help and found my way there along with a new writing friend.