I basically took a sabbatical from writing for a while as I became immersed in my new job and the day-to-day one-foot-in-front-of-the-otherness of the melancholy that falling into the fall brings me. 

The time between Canadian Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is filled with shortening days and so much dark sneaking up on us.  Before the snow comes and blankets us with soft quiet white, the holding pattern we’re in kind of gets to me.

I stumbled upon Ted X in Seattle and have treated myself to a trip down to experience it for the past four years.  It’s the inspirational jolt I crave that envelops me and carries me through the winter and this year was no different.

So how does that work, you ask?  The speaker line-up is varied but all tie into the theme of the event and deeply touch the audience.  I know, I sit there in the middle and feel it and see it.

This year one of the speakers, an amazing woman who talked about overcoming diversity and achieving wonderful things, talked about a moment of decision; about whether to move from a chair in a boardroom or not. It was a moment. And the moment she nearly brought me to tears was in saying that she wished her father had lived to see her sit in that chair; that she thought he would have been proud of her.

At that moment, I was that woman; noting my accomplishments and wishing my father had seen them.

Ted X Seattle, I send my thanks for the incredible day you gave us last week.  Well done, and I look forward to seeing you next November!