I Have To Tell You...

I almost hit Brené Brown with my car.  

It’s true.  I was running late for something…pretty sure I was headed to pick up Kyle or Cal Pal and was late.  I rolled through the stop sign and right in front of Milk & Cookies, a blond woman jumps out of her car and crosses the street.  OH MY GOD IT’S YOU.  FINGER GUNS ABLAZE pointing at her.  She looks at me and points her finger guns at me and says, It’s You…and now that I type that, could it have been F You?  Nahhhh it was Brené Freaking Brown.  My hearts racing.  Should I stop?  I keep driving.  I’m late.  Why didn’t I stop?  Why didn’t I jump out, give her a hug, thank her for her work, say I’m so freaking sorry for almost running you over in my oversized mom mobile.  Instead I drove away heart pounding as it filled with regret.

Let me also back up.  I first “met” Brené Brown years ago.  Before she was on Oprah, but probably after her infamous TED Talk on the power of vulnerability.  I don’t know, the years post 40 start to blend together.  Way back in the day, I held a volunteer placement as the photography chair at the Junior League of Houston and Brené Brown spoke at an awards luncheon that I shot for “the League.” 

A few years later, my friend Lauren and I went to see her speak again at St Mark’s Episcopal Church in Houston.  Brené Brown lives in Houston, I live in Houston and we actually don’t live that far from each other, so it’s not so strange that our paths would cross or I would run into her…I just assumed I wouldn’t mow her down with my SUV and literally run into her. I was thinking more like Whole Foods.

Needless to say, when I called my mom to tell her what had happened, she was mortified.  I might have played it up just a bit for dramatic effect. Did I roll through the stop sign? Probably.  Did she cross the street in front of me?  She did.  Did I “almost hit her?”  Not really.  So don’t worry Mom, Brené was never in any danger.

My regret lingered that I didn’t jump out of my car and say, “You’re Brené Freaking Brown and you are a national treasure, you were on Oprah.  You have helped me speak to me communicate better with my husband with the “The story I’m making up in my head is…” I love your books.  I loved your cameo on Wine Country, I love hearing you speak and I can’t wait to hear what’s next.

So when I saw her again 10 years later, as we were both leaving parent teacher conferences, I spot her and my heart started to race all over again…what would Brené Brown do?  Ten years ago she told me to stand up and sing Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ as loud as I could and I very uncomfortably did.  So I was not going to let the opportunity pass me by twice.  So like an awkward nutball, I went completely fan girl on her…somewhere in between Elf telling Walter, I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU and the actual scene in the movie Wine Country, where Brené has a cameo.  I told her all the things, and then I asked Mike to take this picture and as we walked away he said, I have absolutely no idea who that is.  

Find Brené Brown’s latest book Atlas of the Heart at your local independent bookstore.  I got my copy at Brazos Book Store here in Houston and ordered one for my mom for Christmas too…Let’s see if she’s still reading this…lol.