I finally met the love of my life when I went backstage after her performance with Sxip Shirley at Joe’s Pub a month ago.

I strode over to her, and immediately when she saw me, she stroked my hair and said, “You’re beautiful, I love your hair..” (I’ve got blue and hot pink hair), signed a huge lovely heart and the words LOVE on a cloth napkin I stole from Joe’s Pub, two small papers, and the back pocket of the jeans I was wearing. I asked her for advice for an aspiring singer/performer, and she told me “First of all, you DON’T look as stupid as you think you look. You’ve got to go out there and FAIL. THROW yourself out there emotionally and completely, and fail, fail fail. The more you put yourself out there and fail, the more you know you’re really getting somewhere.”

Then I hugged her.

Amazing moment