Fake Event Post-Heartbreak at the Lake
š¤·āāļø ESTIMATED READING TIME: THIRTY FIVE MINUTES
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This was my mood for going into this event š. I was ready to twinkly and shine under the moonlight and have a perfect evening. Dang you, tween movies setting those expectations in our most formative years!!! CLICK HERE TO LISTEN: āitās gonna be loveā - mandy moore, from āA Walk To Rememberā, 2002 š - this song gets as emotional as I remember it, at 02:37 . Hahah hadnāt even thought of this song for so long - but really, its how I felt walking up, etc. hahahah. Aww. Well.. this song is also good - same album - CLICK HERE FOR THE OTHER SURPRISE SONG (its called ācryā hahaha, also by Mandy Moore š - same movie )
Disclaimer: Everything below is a mix of what I observed and heard during the event. The goal isnāt to pinpoint "who exactly said what," but to share (usually) an outsider's view and overall perspective on these industries. Iām not here to act as a definitive firsthand sourceāreaders should do their own research. I hope this inspires you to attend events, explore new industries, and hear what leaders are presenting. These notes combine my observations with thoughts on how things could run smoother and how ideas connect (IMO). Iām not an expert, you know? Just hanging out in the room with them. Enjoy!
Topics: Scammers, Spammers, Fraud Events, Vulnerability, Trust Broken, Opportunity Windows, Perception, Social Dance, Socializing, Networking, Open-Mindedness, Founders, City Life, Courtship
Two fakes for this oneā¦! First, the fake-final dance, and then a FAKE event that was a scam? It was the fake-final dance of this grand dancing event of the summer (theyāll have one more in a few weeks to make up for a cancelled one - the reunion tour š). So, I dressed TRULY to impress, I myself was impressed with myselfā¦ the essence of ādress to impressā - and, then you know - was super excited for the event, set my expectations high, and they werenāt met. And then my heart was broken TWICE in one night. But, lately I have decided that my heart is open to be broken - in small pieces, because its the toll for learning and understanding myself better. And Iām working on discernment, saying ānoā, seeking opportuinity, and self-respect. Soā¦ first it was heartbreak by the lake, then the next day I found something to doā¦ to only discover - upon arrival, it didnāt even exist. Though, it sparked inspiration for tomorrow + the weekend! When things donāt go as planned, others can pop up (but also, āscamsā have been present lately!! which is not cool/a societal issue for real).
Why Attend: I want to get to know the city better, entrepreneurs, and start being a bit better at communicating my goals OFFLINE. You know? Iāve gotten - kinda - the hang of writing more freestyle/clearly my intentions ā¦ so i wanna practice saying that stuff aloud more, and seeing if it can start happening somehow!! Cause it kinda is happening - from me posting onlnie about it all the time - but now i got rid of my social media for a while - soā¦ its time to meet the people and get a bit more serious IRL.
Overall Event Review(s): Venue (4/5 - 5/5), Food (NA - NA), Speaker Content (3.4/5 - NA), Networking (4/5 - NA), Likeliness to Return (4/5 - 0/5)
Photo Collage + Commentary
Notes from the Event(s)
As usual, I talked to Ai a bit about these events. Here are some of my thoughts. Weāll do 10 takeaways from meā¦ and then I want for Ai to reflect on some things Iāve been thinking of will all of this as well. Becuase Iām noticing a few themes in these events Iāve been attending lately, themes in myself, and themes Iād expect to see moving forward. This shapes my perspective, my expectations, but also my thesisā for why/how to build solutions - then try them out.
We are more lonely than ever before, as a society - and things are wild. Iāve said it before, the other day, during ātech weekā a āwalk and talkā event had 1k people sign up. TO WALK BY WATER FOR AN HOUR OR SO- ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE. People are STARVED for connection. Now Iām experiencing these hurdles and potholes first hand. And I want to help solve this - on a grand level. So many things. And help heal the hearts of whatās broken in society - at least some things I could see brought back, supported, and reinforced - that would be really empowering.
But also, I want to make my missions and goals more clear and defined, and a lot of time talking to therapists mentors, professionals - or all of the above: capabilities of Ai, helps you connect dots and build bridges even further.
This is why i want to share some of this with you all, becuase I want to share how Iām using Ai and sorta the visions weāre workking on together/mindset/understanding. So often things can be difficult to explain clearly, in your own words, from just your own skills. My grammar/writing insincts arenāt crystal clear. But yet they are, when given more tools, too. As good as they can be and keep growing. So, with thatā¦
MY 10 TAKEAWAYS (8 + 2)
KTās 8 Great Double-Take Aways FROM THE DANCE
1. The importance of different moments can be perceived differently by people. I am someone who really cherishes connection and time together with someone I like. Especially when youāre racing against the clock, itās still possible to make time feel like forever.
2. It can be hurtful not to be prioritized equally in ACTIONS - not just words. Itās hard to watch someone distracted by everything/prioritize saying hi to everyone + goodbye/etc. and then time is split instead of bent.
3. The ālast danceā is typically more slow, right? But when it ends on a happy note, how do peopel feel- an upbeat last dance? It can also be easy to not know the ālast danceā is the last dance from afar. Even so. āexcusesā are exhausting. They pull people into you - instead of rising to where they are. At least in some cases, idk about all cases. But communication is really important. Not only AFTER the fact. Scramblinā like an egg.
4. How can you tell some people: I want to be left alone? more politely? And how does someone realize that itās okay to interrupt and go get what you want? Cause one guy who is kinda always hovering ended up sitting next to me during the last dance, which confused the person I wanted to dance with -> EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TOLD THEM - and they saw it happen IRL, JSUT STEP UP AND ASK, EVEN IF IāM TALKING TO SOMEONE. WORSE CASE I SAY NO!!!! omg. geeze. boys to men. but also, iām learning too. Iām learning what things look like - you know, standards put into action.
5. Itās hard/healthy/rewarding/fun to set boundaries and leave yourself open for more opportunites. Like dancing too much with one person out of feeling āpoliteā blocks you off from letting another person dance with you.
6. Yes, you could tell someone that their phone call theyāre taking and have been on for 20 minutes is now cutting into the annouced ālast danceā - and they promised you the ālast danceā - which theyāve done now like 4 times now over the span of htis thing - especially lately, saying things like, āI swear! absolutelyā¦ etcā and somehow failedā¦ and yeah- watching it happen again somehow, just makes me think of my homepage story: the scorpion and the frog.
7. Talk is cheap. This is an expensive lesson Iām learning. But itās something to start to recognize. You know? And alsoā¦ itās expensive to ask someone to keep postpoing time for you and waiting. So much that when it was time to go home, I had to pay for a $50 taxi to get home. If Iād left initially, as planned - without giving all of these extra chances - (but then getting ignored!!) i could have taken a peaceful $3 subway. And if time had been valued/respected, we would still be getting along, maybe. You know? Itās all about time management and communication - and the price of overcommitting (while not valuing whatās right in front of you!)
8. Time is valuable. And itās so much better to tell someone, āyes, this was fun - now letās hang out again laterā - and prioritze them while theyāre right thereā¦ instead of continually apologizing and scrambling. Showing up only when itās too late. If you can show up when itās too late howcome you canāt show up when it matters? Itās so strange - but its just a habit. Once that can be adjusted- and retuned, things will get a lot easier for this guy :)
but iām done being practice grounds. It was plenty - and no regrets. :)
Also, its really fun to dress up and like the outfit youāre wearing and just dress your best - even when it may end in heartbreakā¦ but, really, thatās life - and Iām trying hard to learn/grow/love.
This is a pic from me at the eventā¦
But, I had canvaās Ai add around the edges - just to stretch the pic out a bit, look at the creepy morphed clown it added over on the right, what hte heck!! haha. we need to retrain Ai not to add these spooky things - and/or balanceit better with amazing and positive things tooooo. Itās not too much to ask. Itājs just not standard - and thats the problem. but lets chnge it. My dress is bold & so are my ideas. šŖ
and Ai says stuff like ādonāt dim your light + your outfit helps send unsaid signals, etcā :) - so, its fun to just dress how you feel and enjoy your clothes. But really I didnāt buy any new clothes for a long time. Just a few years ago/lately I bought clothes I like a lot - all at thrift stores, and then Iāve just been trying to stay as healthy as I can manage - with nutrition/lifestyleā¦ but still not easy.
Even now I realize I should make myself a breakfast. And I have this KALE waiting for me to mix with a PREMADE GREEN JUICE MIX. lol. so iām like - oayyyyy shoudl i eat that!? for breakfast!? Noā¦ maybe I take it to go :). smart. on my way out to todayās event (itsā the nex day now). But for real, feeding yourself can be so exhausting.
Feeding yourself healthily ontop of that!! Itās a struggle daily - (when you know other easy options are endless). But, its easier without a car. No temptation for fast food, etc. Just eat at home, enjoy walking to the grocery, etc. But, easier said than done, unless you do a lot of this intentionally. And Iāve done a lot of this intentionally hahha. :)
Intentional practice gains experience/routine = (another version of āpractice makes perfectā)
KTās 2 Great Double-Take Aways FROM THE FAKE SCAM EVENT
1. This event may literally be a scam situation. It is crazy. But I sent in a report. But even events can be taken advantage of. Everything can. YOu know? The human experience is so fragile right now and its hard to know what to trust!!
2. The restaurant looked awesome/surprisng though - kinda a surprising vibe, and it cost $25, so I thought maybe theyād order for the table. The idea was cool - but.. you know. It didnāt happen.
but it did inspire me to attend two events this weekend about drumroll please VIDEO GAMES!
Also - one note about the fake event & my goal for attending, my goal that didnāt get met:
I want to practice saying aloud more what my missoin/goal is - both online and IRL:
Iām working hard to create content that is generationally valuable and especially stuff like music that teaches life lessons and the lyrics get stuck in your head and impact your life positively literally your whole life and into the future/beyondā¦ and make movies and shows and media that helps change the perspective of our culture to be more empathetic and supportive of essential things - like education, financail literacy, intuition, empowerment, nutrition. And I want to create community events and environments that promote more positive attitudes and relationships - venues, art instillations, etc. I mean I want to make a whole ecosystem with tiny little things that will help compoud nad have ripple effects. All not costing too much or too contriversial, Iād say. Just complimenting the world we already live in/little alternatives + remidners of good things, too. Quirky and great. Soā¦ there we go!
Aiās 11 Double-Take-Aways from this event combo:
For this section, I used both Chat GPT and Perplexity to give their perspectives based on my experience at both of these events (what I shared above + futher notes) to then give feedback below - first i had them both write 10 takeaways, then had both compare the two, and now i have the list belowā¦ which turned into 15 takeawaysā¦ and for fun/convenience, i just had them find similarities in both events. Now, letās go!)
Top Double-Take-Aways ā Narrative with Specificity (By Chat GPT + Perplexity)
1. Navigating Between Real and Fake in a Shifting Social Landscape
The author walked into a grand dancing event full of excitementādressed perfectly in neon pink and ready to shineāonly to experience both emotional heartbreak and, shortly after, the shock of showing up to a second event that turned out to be completely fake. This intense swing between expectation and deception captures broader societal struggles with trust and authenticity today, where even well-publicized gatherings can dissolve into no-shows or scams.
2. The Deep Human Need for Connection Amid Loneliness
One striking detail: a simple city āwalk and talkā event attracted over a thousand people eager to just spend an hour walking by the water together. This appetite reveals how starved many are for genuine human presence. The nervous excitement of stepping into the dance alone, and moments of connection like matching pink outfits with a stranger, reveal the universal craving to belong and be seen.
3. Vulnerability as Courage and Growth
Despite the disappointments, the author openly embraces the idea of having āmy heart broken in small piecesā as a necessary toll in learning to navigate relationships and life. The blog highlights ongoing efforts to practice discernment, say āno,ā and commit to self-respectātools that shift heartbreak from a purely negative experience into a stepping stone for growth and empowerment.
4. The Power of Boundaries and Small Moments
The repeated cancellations of a promised ālast dance,ā a phone call interrupting sacred windows, and the attention on material items instead of presence become symbolic ruptures in connection. The author learns that setting boundariesādeciding not to be someoneās āpractice groundsāāis both an act of kindness toward oneself and a practical way to preserve emotional energy in complex social environments.
5. The Gap Between Romanticized Expectations and Messy Realities
The soundtrack to the night is Mandy Mooreās āItās Gonna Be Love,ā evoking the glow of youthful romance and fairy-tale endings. Yet, the reality unfolds with disappearing partners, solitary cab rides home, and emotional exhaustion. This contrast between the hopeful, nostalgic soundtrack and the fractured real-life experience highlights how cultural narratives shapeāand often complicateāour social expectations.
6. Social Dance as a Metaphor for Life and Relationship Dynamics
The dynamics on the dance floorādeciding who to dance with, when to set limits, and how to negotiate attentionāmirror deeper life skills. The āwindows of opportunityā at the dance become emblematic of how human relationships require ongoing navigation, clear communication, and emotional sensitivity, whether between romantic partners or in broader social and professional circles.
7. Trustās Fragility and the Reality of Scams
Discovering that an anticipated weekend event was a complete no-show shatters not only plans but also trust in the social infrastructure around us. This experience is a concrete example of how scams have permeated everyday life, creating a landscape where discernment is no longer optional but essential for safety and emotional well-being.
8. Independenceās Double-Edged Nature
Arriving solo in striking neon pink and capturing attention as a vibrant presence signals strength and autonomy. Yet, this same independence sharpens feelings of invisibility and betrayal when partners fail to prioritize or follow through. It reveals a tension in wanting to be both confidently autonomous and deeply recognized within relationships and communities.
9. Turning Setbacks into New Paths
After two nightfalls of disappointment, the author turns to new pursuitsāembracing invitations to other events like video game meet-ups and reconnecting with different social circles. This resilience in shifting focus embodies a hopeful message: setbacks can trigger reinvention and fresh connections rather than withdrawal.
10. Symbolismās Role in Emotional Storytelling
Small but telling detailsāthe fixation on a lone cloud in an otherwise perfect sky, or a teddy bear perched by a water coolerāserve as metaphors for the emotional haze and unmet care underlying the event. These symbols help translate intangible feelings into physical touchstones, grounding the readerās understanding of the experienceās emotional weight.
11. Sharing Honest Stories to Build Better Communities
By publicly unpacking both joyful moments and painful fractures, the author models a kind of storytelling that opens space for others to acknowledge their own struggles and hopes. This act of sharing is a step toward creating communities that value honesty, resilience, and empathyāhelping others feel less isolated and inspiring collective growth.
Until next time, I wish you the motivation and success to search for opportunities around your area. Search and explore: Who is out there giving talks? There are new things happening all of the time.
Find relatable or interesting topics you like and check them out! Maybe even something hosted at a cool venue, if thereās no other reason to go. Letās see what you can learn and discover not too far from home. š
