You see, it started with a cryptic email from Councilman Samuels on Monday evening apologizing for wires getting crossed on this “Person of the Year” award that he wanted to present to me, which I assumed he was referring to the Style Weekly “Richmonders of the Year” recognition (which occurred around January 6). Since this was around 8:30pm and I was sitting at The Camel with a pint in front of me waiting for Taylor Barnett and gang to start, I left this to figure out in the morning. This was a HUH? moment.

But around midnight after I got home, I remembered that I hadn’t checked my voice mail messages since I’d been in meetings most of the day, where low and behold, I find a call from Councilman Samuels’ assistant from 4pm, requesting my presence two hours later for THAT NIGHT’s City Council meeting to accept “an award for First Fridays.” To say the least, I’m REALLY shocked and confused at this point. The two pints don’t help. This was a WTF? moment.

I didn’t get to put the pieces of this puzzle together until Tuesday morning by deciphering more emails, like the ones ‘congratulating me on the award I received at City Council last night.’ I’m left with a mixture of emotions: dazed, embarrassment for not being there, annoyance at not being contact in a timely manner, thrilled with the honor, disappointed to not have been able to be there to accept it in person, then back to shocked and confused. Understand here, that I still have no idea what occurred at the City Council meeting or what this “award” actually is.

But today, I received this handsome award in hand from Amy Howard, Director of UR’s Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, and it is a Community Service Award, and is lovely. Luck had it that her colleague from UR was at Monday’s City Council meeting for another reason and was able to accept the award on our behalf, since they are our presenting sponsor. This, I’m so happy the cosmos were in line on as we couldn’t do what we do without the University of Richmond, so the honor goes to them for sure.

At this point, I’m working on the details with Councilman Samuels’ office for a more appropriate presentation at the upcoming First Fridays. I’ll check back in with the details once I know more.

This whole situation has taken me by surprise. This can’t normally be the process for this sort of thing, is it? While it’s a huge honor that I’m so grateful for, I must admit that I’m left scratching my head and feeling deflated. Why now/this particular date? Why was this coordinated so quickly? Why wasn’t I given appropriate notice? It would have been easy to contact us in advance and for me change my schedule to attend, plus this would have OBVIOUSLY been an event that we would have liked to have shared with our supporters, the participating First Fridays venues, plus the public.

It makes me feel a little tired.