Creating Change 2009

This is my third Creating Change conference, for which I feel very lucky and also a little disappointed. Lucky that I've been able to attend 3. Disappointed that I didn't understand what it was earlier in my life, so I could have attended more of them. Activists are often more hopeful than they have a right to be, especially given the last 8 years. But put us all in a room (or very large hotel) together and that hope blossoms into something magical.

I love the workshops and I usually learn things from the presenters. But the secret to enjoying the conference is really about the things that happen outside the workshops. The early morning coffee meet-ups where two acquaintances decide to make a difference, now, about an issue that matters. A new organization is suddenly born. The hallway conversations where those of who have worked in the field, up to our elbows in community drama and conservative opposition, finally comprehend we are not alone.

And the NGLTF is boots-on-the-ground organization. They truly try to be the change they want to see in the world. Just watching what they do gives me a better idea of what I could and should be doing in my own community to create a better world for all of us!

So, next year, attend the conference in Dallas, TX, you will be amazed!