Day 102: Zoom Conference

The conference I attended over Zoom concluded today. There was a virtual farm tour, which was fun, and some good conversation about how to move the work forward. If I'm going to be honest, my brain was pretty overwhelmed after three days of intense listening and learning, but I am looking forward to reflecting on all the information. 

Some takeaways: Zoom in general is funny. You're on a screen where you can see all these strangers' faces looking at you, as well as your own funny face. In most social settings it is terribly rude to just stare at people and study their faces, but on Zoom no one can tell who you're looking at, so you can just stare at people all you want. I kind of enjoyed that form of people-watching. Also, because my internet is slow, sometimes people's videos would get stuck at inopportune moments, so someone's screen would get stuck right when they were yawning. It was a good way to amuse oneself when it got a little dry. 

On the last day of the conference, two indigenous men led prayers at the beginning of the conference, and it was a powerful way to start a day of work that centers on fixing our agricultural systems. It was also a rare occurrence, having people delve into the spiritual in a professional setting. I loved it. We are all spiritual beings whether we are at a conference or not, and it was wonderful to bring that to the fore and empower people to use their connection to nature for the betterment of the world. 

Once it was all over and I could step away from the screen, we all went to the pool and had a lovely time playing, washing away the day's work, immersing oneself into the present space and the present moment of water, sunlight, and splashing children.