I have a hard time receiving compliments. The odd thing is a part of me, perhaps the truest part, initially loves praise, really loves it with party hats and streamers and dancing in monsoon rain. If the praise continues, however, I suffer from frozen face syndrome. I go tundra, arctic
(more) wolves drift to the left of my nose and snow piles up. I read at an open mic on Tuesday, and last night, I went to another reading, and several writers came up to me to say nice things about my Tuesday mic, and I was on repeat. Each time, I felt the initial warmth, initial party hats, dancing and then tundra--enough, stop. I have built a compliment defense system; I'd like to dismantle it but I don't how.(less)