It never fails that a BlogHer conference will come and go and the internet will become littered with commentary about every little detail.
There were too many cliques.
So-and-so is such a douche in person.
I'm pretty sure she has had plastic surgery.
The sessions were a waste of time.
It would have been better if this had happened.
Did you hear about that crap so-and-so pulled?
OMG. It was nothing but swag whores.
And on and on.
I've never truly experienced any of that stuff, but I suppose that has a lot to do with my approach to the whole thing. I figure that there are 5,000 women there. If I can't find someone who I click with, someone whose company I enjoy, well ... if I can't find fun while surrounded by 5,000 other people, I probably should go stare in a mirror and figure out what it is about me that I need to change because I must be the problem.
This year I walked out of a session because I didn't find it valuable. I'm sure the content was right for someone, but that someone wasn't me. It's on me to recognize that I'm not spending that hour how I want to and to fix it.
This year I found myself in the middle of a conversation between very assertive women who were more than happy to tell me how very awesome they are in every way. I'm sure they really are, but I'm more of a two-way conversation sort of person, so I excused myself and sought out awesome. I knew it was my responsibility to find a way to make that hour fun.
This year I turned the other way when I saw some people pandering for every free thing under the sun. The potential for swag whoring was impressive, but I figured THAT is how they wanted to spend that hour of their lives. That's fantastic for them. Truly. It's not how I want to spend my hour, though, so I walked the other way.
Everybody wins when you walk away from the things that don't fit with what you want to do.
On the flip side, this year I laughed so hard that my eyeballs turned into sprinklers. I probably looked like a total wreck laughing so hard that I was crying, but OH WELL. Just thinking about that moment is making me chuckle. It should be impossible to still be laughing about something that happened nearly a week ago.
This year I was inspired. The International Activist winners talked about how they overcome some incredible challenges, and they do it with a smile on their faces. I hope that this blog sometimes makes a difference in someone's life, but I'm incredibly grateful it doesn't come at a high price. Hearing what those women do in the face of adversity made me want to do more. Far more.
This year I cried because that's what you do when you listen to the Voices of the Year readings. It's the good kind of cry.
This year I truly had more fun than anyone should be allowed to have.
But the best part is that I managed to achieve one very important goal. Before I left, I asked Alexis what I should bring back for her from Chicago. She replied, "A picture of the bean."
Mission accomplished.
It's always a good thing when you can have a great time AND do something for your kid.
