I'm going to write about my favorite moment of SnowCon, the peak moment. I was standing next to Jenn in front of our audience. Our posters were set up; our markers were out; and everyone was looking up at us. It wasn't quiet yet because we were waiting on the webcast to begin, and I looked out over the crowd and saw so many faces looking back at me all shining with friendship and good fun and interest.
I loved that moment best because it combined everything. I was about to talk about parenting and communication, which I love. I was in front of people, smiling and joking, which I love. I was with Jenn, whom I love. I was talking not to a crowd of strangers, but to a host of friends. The first row was filled with the people I had gotten to know over dinner, Anders and Maria, Maryallene and Don, Steve, all making me feel more comfortable with their recent familiarity. Aaron and Santiago sat together, looking positive we would do well, their faces reassuringly clear of any doubt whatsoever about our brilliance, and we wondered if Brendan was able to watch back home, knowing that he wouldn't have a doubt either. Earl and Tom were taking pictures of us and smiling. I remember seeing Paul and William and Arthur and Lisa and Sarah and Travis and Colleen. Diana and Kelly were working hard to make everything go smoothly for us. Chris was telling us for the 10th time that we would be great because he knew we were very nervous.
Perhaps it's arrogant to compare a parenting talk to being at the top of a Saturn V; okay, yes, it really is, but I can imagine what Neil Armstrong must have felt as he was ready to blast off. He must have heard the familiar voices of the Mission Control guys, thought of the gathering of other astronauts and his family, imagined all the people in America wishing him well and watching him in his big moment, looked at the deeply-known team beside him, and felt that he was being pushed out to the moon by goodwill alone.
There were awesome things before this moment: talks at the cabin, joking in the hot-tub, Diana's lecture, good food, much alcohol. There were awesome things afterward too: our talk (which went really well), the congratulations of our friends, the live webcast, Santiago's talk, debriefing with Jenn, Colleen, and Travis, the coffee shop discussion with Diana about books. But that one moment, waiting for our talk to begin, is why I love Objectivist conferences.
It was the precious feeling of being with people who get you, people who like you for all your principles and your forthrightness, people who are benevolent, people who want you to succeed and who glory in their own successes. It's funny to me that anyone would think Objectivists don't value feelings and people, that they don't know how to be close and have good relationships. Because it was love, both for me and for a community of like-minded friends, that I felt flowing over me from every direction in my best SnowCon moment.
3/14/11
