A couple of us swaggy gals recently attended the Oddities and Curiosities Expo here in our hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.
What a feast for the eyes - beautiful, vibrant preserved moss and wildflowers merged with intricate snake vertebrae, jars of coiled octopus tentacles, even tiny raccoon penises (penii??) encased in resin and fitted into brass rings!
Because what better way to adorn yourself than with phalluses of the fallen?! All sorts of incredible taxidermy, innumerable mediums of art exploring the darker side of life, and the most stunning jewelry in the shapes of moths, bats and snakes, embellished with mystical healing crystals (see below for some of our favorite vendors).
We meandered through the crowds who were dressed mostly in black, hair colored in all the colors of the rainbow, skulls, spiderwebs, the kind of vibe you get at a heavy metal show. And here we were decked out in jeans and/or leggings, lookin' 'bout as basic as some bitches can be - we didn’t exactly “fit in” with the majority of the attendees at the convention. We ourselves were what some may say were the “oddities" at the oddities Expo.
But then we were used to that feeling.
You hear time and again from people in recovery how from a young age we felt “different,” “out of place,” “less than,” etc. Odd. Curious. Speaking for myself, I can say that when I discovered alcohol, it helped quiet the insanity in my head that told me how “other“ I was. It helped me feel like I belonged, like I was a part of the group. But of course that story didn’t end well.
Getting sober - removing my old coping mechanisms that helped me forget how very unique I regarded myself - was a painful process. But what I found was that I was not alone in thinking about how alone I was. That there were so, so many of us who felt the same way I did. Through my recovery process, the honesty and vulnerability that was modeled for me by other women living a sober life, I came to recognize how the only thing keeping me apart from others was myself.
That was one of the things that was so beautiful to me about this expo we attended. Here was a group of people who may have had views or ideas or inclinations that are outside of societal norms. But they were here, in this safe space, together, sharing their passions, their creations and their purpose. They knew they weren’t alone, that no matter how curious or odd they may feel or seem to others at times, we are all here together and we all have a part to play in this crazy reality we call life.
So even though our group may have contrasted a bit with the rest of the people at the event, we were able to forget about ourselves and have a fantastic time. Because, to quote a line from one of my favorite movies (that we ended up getting stickers from at the event), “We are the weirdos, mister”. And we’re all in this together.
We luuuurved (and made some purchases from) Electra Relics (@electrarelics on Instagram), Sleeping Sirens, Dark Arts & Roses and Wishbone. Thank you to all the vendors at the Oddities and Curiosities Expo for showing us such a great time.
XOXO,
Sarah
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