Back to the main RG PageBeaveRG-I Our Brainy Days Fun RG was my first RG, and I'd like a chance to say "thank you" to some people in its aftermath.
Brainy Day Fun RG -The AftermathFirst of all to the folks who worked so hard to organize, arrange, and carry out the whole thing, and to the people who are already working on next year's party. Don't think for a moment that your work went unnoticed or unappreciated. Well done.
Next, my thanks to the attendees. I got some bad health news the day before the RG, and considered not showing up. A celebration just didn't seem appropriate. I went anyway, mainly out of stubbornness, and ended up glad I did. Not only were the events a needed distraction and stimulation, but the people there - old friends and new acquaintances both - were uniformly concerned, kind, and supportive while managing to avoid pitying sentimentality. I hope I didn't throw a wet blanket over anyone else's good times: I know the weekend did me a world of good.
In fact, I stepped into only one puddle of negativity all weekend: a non-local female guest who sat in on two sessions of the Meeting of the Minds discussion series. She complained at first about the free-wheeling format, and when encouraged to just jump in, sniffed that she "wasn't about to behave like" the rest of us, and returned to holding up a hand for recognition. Fortunately, she was able to see the benefits of our discussion style later, when she felt it freed her to snort derisively, stand up, and stalk out in the middle of someone else's remarks. I think it was a liberating experience for her. It certainly was for the rest of us.
Finally, I was flattered beyond words by the attractive woman who spent valuable RG time flirting with me. There are times when gently improper thoughts can be deeply therapeutic. Even when they're not, they're still fun. Anyway, I've always been a sucker for women who laugh at my jokes.
Good party, folks. See you there next year.