About Me

My photo
I live on the ocean, write women's fiction, love to read so much that it's an addiction rather than a hobby (I read an average of a book a day). I live on the wet west coast so it's a good thing that I like to walk in the rain.

Monday, July 31, 2006

Sitting on the stairs

There is something nostalgic about sitting on the stairs.

I remember doing it in my grandmother's house, on the stairs outside the school, with my friends or boyfriends on the stairs between the floors in the apartment buildings we lived in when I was a teenager.

And I still like to do it. On Saturday night, I was at the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta at the Harlequin party. It was a great party - but too hot and too noisy to spend too long in the main room. Three of us - Stevi Mittman, Alison Hart and me - escaped into the lobby and found ourselves, almost automatically, gravitating to the stairs.

We were dressed up - high heels, makeup, formal clothing - and yet there we ended up, sprawled on the stairs, disregarding the mess we might make of our perfect selves.

Conversation is different on the stairs - more personal, less complicated, and definitely more entertaining. We looked up at everyone, as if we were children again, seeing everyone from an unexpected angle. Everyone talked to us, and we talked back, no barriers, no discomfort, all of us remembering what it was like to pick a step next to a friend and sit down. Talk. Share stories.

We even sang.

We should have tried The party's over or Good night, Irene - easy songs to sing, requiring little if any musicianship. Instead we threw ourselves into trying to remember all the verses of So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, adieu - none of us were that young, none of us had the voice to carry it off. But we didn't care.

We were sitting on the stairs and we could do whatever we wanted.

I recommend it. The next time you're at a party, sit down on the steps and see what happens.

It won't be long before someone - and probably the person you least expect - will sit down on the step just below you, their head even with your shoulder. And then another will sit down on your other side - not on your step - that's not stair sitting etiquette - but on the step just above you. There's a geometrical tidiness to stair sitting.

Check it out and let me know how it goes.

Kate

12 comments:

Reese said...

Hey Katie,

This is a very nice first post. Congrats on the blog! Sorry, I got your email a little late, but I'm glad to see you've got it all sorted out. Piece of cake, right?

Reese

hornblower said...

Hi Kate, welcome to blogland! Sounds like you had a fine time in Atlanta ;-)

Brenda Coulter said...

Welcome to the blogisphere, Kate!

I wish you every success and hope you'll have a rockin' good time with this new endeavor.

Brenda from
No rules. Just write.

Mirtika said...

Hi, Kate. Congrats on the sales, and welcome to blogging.

I have to say that the photo on your website (the books, the music/instrument, and the comfy place to sit and read) made me happy. Just my kind of place. :)

Mir
of Mirathon

Shelley L. MacKenzie said...

Hi and welcome to the wide world of blogging! Feel free to visit my blog (or all 3), which are listed in my profile, and leave a comment :o)

Bonnie S. Calhoun said...

"Hi, Katie...welcome to our world!"

Bonnie
Bonnie Writes

ReadingIsSoMuchFun said...

Hello Kate,

Welcome to the blog world *Winks*
Wish you the best of luck in blogging. I will tell you one thing it does get addicting :) But that is ok.

HUGSSSS
Linda.H.

Amy A. said...

Hi Kate. Next time I see some stairs I'll be sure to try out your stair etiquette theory. Or maybe I'll be the one to break it and sit on an already occupied step and see what kind of reaction I get. ;)

Welcome to blogland. I'll be sure to check back!

Lindi said...

Hi Kate. Welcome!!
When I think of stairs I think of my Aunts house in Ohio. Remember the time before cordless phones? We used to sit on the stairs, the very long phone cord stretched really far, close the door, (all my relatives houses up north with stairs have a door you have to open to go up) and chat forever on the phone.
Thanks for letting me drift back in time.

Malia Spencer said...

Aloha Kate,

Congratulations on your new blog! Looks like you'll have some interesting things to say so I'll be checking in. :)

Just Nancy said...

Kate,

It was great to read your first post! While I wasn't at the Harlequin party, I was in Atlanta and I had a great time. I might try that stair thing someday. It sounds fun!

Stop by and say hi!

Sarah Grimm said...

Hi Kate! Sorry I couldn't join you on those stairs. I had a great time in Atlanta and was so very pleased to have met and spent time with you.

Signed,
the prohylactic princess.