I am not smooth

I'm a bit rough around the edges.

I am certainly not eloquent either - but I do try to keep myself from sounding like an idiot, most of the time.

It doesn't always work.

On Saturday, a colleague from our UK office who was attending the same conference I was had invited me out to dinner "with some buddies" after the reception that was being held at the Phoenix Art Museum.

My colleague - who I shall refer to as "B" is kind of high up in the food chain in our UK office. She's the director of this and that and has gobs and gobs of experience....knows all the right people...yadda, yadda, yadda.

I was very flattered that she invited me.

At dinner, I was seated right in between two people (these are "B's" buddies) that are verly well known and respected within the industry that I work in. We'll call them Mr. C and Mrs. H.

I felt immediately "out of my league" in the company of these people, but did my very best to keep up with them...learn from them...etc. I had only one beer - because I needed something cold and refreshing after walking 15 blocks in the freakin' AZ sun and thought it would be best if I didn't have any other alcohol to drink so that I can keep my wits about me. (Now I'm thinking I should have had LOTS more)

They were having a conversation about technology in the market...something and something...and it was a topic that really interested me so I attempted to "jump into" the conversation.

So....I waited for my moment and then lept in with: "I had a very interesting conversation with a few librarians while waiting in line for hors d'ourves about something very similar....."

Then it happened...

my mind when completely blank....

and I totally forgot what I was going to say and what point I was trying to make.

The heat in my neck started to rise up to my face as I felt myself blush. My ears turned bright red and felt like they were going to burn off my head.

I paused...attempted to pull myself together...I looked at them both and just said:

"I have totally lost my train of thought and have forgotten what point I was trying to make."

They chuckled - politely (which is like the kiss of death) and resumed their conversation.

As sweat poured out of every pore in my body and my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest and leap across the table....I sunk slowly back into my chair and hoped I could recover.

There were a few redeeming moments later on and in the taxi back to the hotel Mrs. H. and I did have a very nice conversation about the project that she is working on and I actually understood what she was talking about, but I hope I won't be remembered as the idiot they had dinner with.

Please tell me I'm not the only one this has ever happened to?