Word Camp Toronto 2010 Day 2 – A Moment of Zen

So I spent two days at WordPress Word Camp 2010 learning about so much whiz bang technology that my head was starting to spin.

It was all great.

Wonderful ideas to try out.

Great talk on SEO – Search Engine Optimization – how to get your message out there.

Wonderful presentations up on the big screen. Links flashing by to new and better Plugins.

Google “wcto2010″ and you will see what I mean.

Then on Day 2 near the end of the conference, comes a guy whose topic is Branding. He doesn’t stand at the podium like everybody else. He sits down on the red leather couch on the stage and he talks to us about communicating with your audience and about telling them who you are.

At one point, an audience member called out “Do you have a presentation?” because there was nothing up on the great big screen behind him except the big WordCamp logo.

He said “No.” And just kept talking to us.

When he was finished, the extremely funny (hope he does stand up in his spare time) conference co-ordinator quipped, “We should have called this part of the program – Zen and the Art of Branding.”

What an effective way to deliver his message – which for this blogger was this:

1) Be who you really are

and

2) Never forget that although there may be a lot of whiz bang technology between you and your audience, it is still just people talking to people.

He’s an automotive writer. Go figure. This does, however, support my theory that men are people too.

Here’s his picture and a link to his blog. The only thing he used the computer for was his own speaking notes.

http://banovsky.com

Peace

UM

My First Day at WordPress Word Camp 2010

Just spent the day at Word Camp. The best deal in town. Fun and informative. Here’s some photos.

A Postscript to My Broken Silence

I wrote in my last post about what was going on with my son because I felt a bit uncomfortable writing about adoption when my own situation was not going so well.  Felt, in a way, as if I was committing a sin of omission.  Or pretending – and god knows there has been enough pretending.

I’m glad I wrote about it.  I actually felt better after I did. The same day I wrote the post I sent a quick email to my son saying I was trying again to reach him.

This morning I received an email from him – subject line  – Adoption.  In it he said he is “moving on” because it is clear he will never be part of my or his father’s family.

I’m sad.  I’m angry.  I’m incredibly frustrated. I am worried about him. I wish I could get through to him somehow.

Adoption, to me, seems to be the gift that just keeps on  #$@&!*$ giving.

Thank you to everyone for their responses to my previous post.  I don’t know any of you on sight but believe me  – your kind words help.

I worry that these experiences will discourage other people from looking.  I hope not.  My son used to say he would probably be in jail if he hadn’t met me.  If that’s true, I’m glad we met, no matter how things turn out in the end.

In my response to his email, I told him that I love him and care about him.  And, that that will not change because of an email and will not change even if I am never able to speak to him again.

And that’s the truth.

I just clicked on one of those “Related Blog Posts” that WordPress sticks at the end of yours.  Automatically generated.  This one was at the bottom of my “My Broken Silence ” post.

All the “related blog” said was this:

He’s haunted by the memory of a lost paradise
In his youth or a dream, he can’t be precise
He’s chained forever to a world that’s departed
It’s not enough, it’s not enough

His blood has frozen and curdled with fright
His knees have trembled and given way in the night
His hand has weakened at the moment of truth
His step has faltered

Pink Floyd ~ Sorrow

Whoa!

Peace

UM