Why an awkward blog? / FAQ

This was my first post wayyy back in June. I'm updating with an FAQ, and the original post is still underneath. Cheers.

Who are you?
I am a twenty-one year old Public Relations and Drama double major at an illustrious college in the south. I plan to pursue acting/performing arts management once I graduate, and will be moving to a great big city far away. I live in a cottage that looks like a cupcake and is surrounded by bamboo. My hobbies consist of acting, comedy, reading, rock-climbing, hiking, and charcoal sketching. I am a Christian but not the jump-down-your-throat variety. Peter Pan is my favorite story.


Why are you writing this blog?
One day in early summer, a series of bizarre embarrassing events had me near tears. My friends, en masse, told me the situations were actually hilarious and they wished they could hear more. I then realized that laughing with people was more enjoyable than feeling pitiful and pathetic. Also, everything is funny is retrospect. Thus the blog was born, to remind myself of particularly funny moments and to keep my "this is the worst thing ever / the world is over" feelings in check. I also like to write (re: journalism major) and if I could ultimately publish a collection of these stories, that would be great.

Also, to fellow awkward ducklings out there: It gets better. In the moments when you feel like the biggest dweeb in the world, remember there are other people out there screwing up just as much, or even worse. You will laugh about it later, I promise.

Why don't you write about relationships more? Or sex?
Um wut. I will NEVER write about sexytimes because 1) ewww 2) half my readers attend my hometown church 3) this is a humor blog, not softcore erotica. Sorry bout it.
Regarding boyfriends, I have a self-mandated three-year moratorium from the end of the relationship to writing about it. High school stories are game; college ones are not (yet). Partially out of respect, partially because I'm still in contact with most of the people and don't want to belittle or mock them. I do enough awkward things outside of relationships to fill up the space.
(This might change as events/times warrant?)

You are so overdramatic.
That's not a question, but I'll respond anyway. Part of a humor blog is emphasizing the humorous parts. I also try to remember feelings exactly as they were in the moment, and I think people in general react more strongly in real life than they tend to realize. I'm not a mellow person by nature; half because I am very theatrical and high-energy, half because I struggle with anxiety and panic attacks that definitely make everything seem 100 times worse in the moment.
But it's always funny later.

How much of your stories are true?
As a journalism major, and clawing my way through both media ethics and media law, I'm almost physically incapable of fluffery. It's true, all true, painfully, dorkily true. Some of the set-up dialog may be paraphrased as my memory holds it, but the most inflammatory and ridiculous things are definitely word-for-word. I have a very heavily episodic memory so I remember minute details of events very well. I change names and locations to respect the privacy of others, but not so much that anyone who knows me wouldn't know to whom I am referring (re: why I don't blog about recent exes.)

Got another question? Feel free to ask!

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You may ask, why a blog about being awkward? Isn't it... embarrassing? Humiliating?

Yes. And Yes.

But I figured blogging about my daily awkward experiences (and throwing in some gems from the past if I'm having a particularly uneventful day... which is a rarity), other people would feel a little bit better the next time they dump mashed potatoes on themselves in front of a cute waiter. Get the world to laugh WITH you, so to speak.

Also, my middle name is Grace and I am quite honestly the clumsiest, klutziest, goofiest person in my group of friends. The irony of being an Awkward Grace is not lost on me. Might as well embrace it. That being said, I would love for others to share their awkward experiences in comments or guest posts.

Wave your klutz flag proudly (before you trip on the sidewalk and poke yourself in the eye with it.)

- Most names are changed, and maybe a few physical descriptors for privacy reasons for my friends. Nothing to be deceptive or malicious.