Hugs All Around
Day 2 in Salt Lake City, and many of our 588 franchisees have arrived in town. Nearly all of our conference attendees stay in our HQ hotel (the Grand America) so this place is covered in our folks, and let me tell you you've never seen such a hugging bunch of people. They love to hug! If I even accidentally get within two feet of a fellow Express person you're pretty much obligated to hug. And I'm not exactly the hugging type. But it is so fun to see so many people get together who enjoy each other and are so happy to be here. And I guess when you're that happy, a handshake just doesn't cut it.
Outside the Comfort Zone
Well, it's Day 1 in Salt Lake City, and as always on the travel day for conference we get to do a bit of sight-seeing. One co-worker suggested we go visit the Mormon Tabernacle located downtown, so we did. What we didn't realize was that if you're not Mormon, you don't get to go inside the actual temple, so it was more of a tour about the Mormon faith, it's history, and a soft sell by the Mormon folks.
There are a lot of young people there who are working their 18 months of volunteer work spreading the Mormon faith, and two of these young ladies served as our tour guides. After telling us about the history of their faith, they asked about ours. "What are your beliefs?" they asked. Three of us stood there for a second or two before we mumbled, "Christianity, Church of Christ, Charismatic Christianity, Non-denominational..." She wasn't familiar with any of the non-denominational denominations we blurted out.
"So...do you believe in prophets like we have today?" She was referring to Gordon B. Hinckley (current president of the Latter Day Saints) and the other Mormon prophets before him including Brigham Young and founder John Smith. "Uh..." we looked at each other and another co-worker managed to change the subject or redirect; I dropped to the back of the group.
Two things struck me about this little venture outside of our comfort zone today. One is the way these two young tour guides spoke with such conviction and passion about their faith. They were knowledgable and confident and so eager to share their beliefs. Regardless of the fact that to Christians many of their beliefs are terribly misguided, they stood firm in their faith and their excitement to share that faith with others.
The other and much more bothersome thing about my head-on encounter with this very different faith was how I lacked what these girls had. Have I ever shared my faith with complete strangers? Where would I begin? I certainly wouldn't want to offend anybody or make anyone uncomfortable. Do I speak with excitement and passion when talking about Christianity or what God has done for me lately? Have I spoken at all about what God has done for me lately?
I've grown up in the church all my life. I surround myself with people who share a similar faith, or at the very least don't disagree with mine. Hanging out with Christian family and friends has allowed me to stay within my comfort zone. I've never had to spout my beliefs and why I'm saved because no one has ever challenged me. And if I've seen a challenge coming, I've avoided it.
If I've learned anything today, it is that I need to stop relying on my church or my family to reiterate or outline Christianity for me. I must know it myself. I need to be able to tell others why Jesus is the reason for the hope that lies within me. And I need to be able to do it with confidence. With hope. And with passion.
My Crazy Dream
It's not only my crazy dream, but it's also the one I have the most. It's the same dream; it just changes based on what's going on in my life - the dream that I've forgotten something important. When I was a kid, I dreamed that it was time to go to church camp and I hadn't even started packing. When I was a waitress, I would forget about my tables. When I was getting married, it was my wedding day and nothing was done. You get the picture.
So, now that I'm preparing to go to Salt Lake City tomorrow, I'm packing anything and everything I think I might possibly need to make it a week away from home. Forget the fact that I'm sure there's a WalMart just down the street. I'll end up taking two large suitcases, one carry-on suitcase and my big tote bag with me, while most other co-workers manage to fit everything in one big suitcase and a carry-on.
My fear did actually partially come true this past summer when Chris and I went to Alaska. In our haste to round up our 7 or so suitcases and bags, we left one behind at the airport. Which one, you ask? The one that contained just about every article of warm clothing I had packed. And with a few gift shop purchases and the couple of warm items I had in another bag, I managed just fine. But that hasn't cured my obsession with over-packing.
So, now that I'm preparing to go to Salt Lake City tomorrow, I'm packing anything and everything I think I might possibly need to make it a week away from home. Forget the fact that I'm sure there's a WalMart just down the street. I'll end up taking two large suitcases, one carry-on suitcase and my big tote bag with me, while most other co-workers manage to fit everything in one big suitcase and a carry-on.
My fear did actually partially come true this past summer when Chris and I went to Alaska. In our haste to round up our 7 or so suitcases and bags, we left one behind at the airport. Which one, you ask? The one that contained just about every article of warm clothing I had packed. And with a few gift shop purchases and the couple of warm items I had in another bag, I managed just fine. But that hasn't cured my obsession with over-packing.
Salt Lake City or Bust
Monday I leave for a week to help put on our company's International Leadeeship Conference in Salt Lake City. My role includes scripts and speeches and other activities that happen in our general session room. There will be about 1,000 attendees, and everything that goes on in that room is live, so there's always room for error. And there always are errors, but the most important thing is that the audience never notices any mistakes.
Our department works hard to make sure everything is as planned out as possible. The entire event is scripted and timed down to the minute, but there are always those things that crop up at the last minute. The actual conference begins on Wednesday and ends on Saturday night after about a four hour awards ceremony. But that's the good news. This particular event used to push midnight, and now we anticipate it ending at around 10:30.
We usually put in 18 hour days once the show finally gets going, but it really is a lot of fun. We work like maniacs but somehow manage to have a blast. As crazy as it sounds, I can't wait for it to be here, and once it's over, I'm always looking forward to next year.
Our department works hard to make sure everything is as planned out as possible. The entire event is scripted and timed down to the minute, but there are always those things that crop up at the last minute. The actual conference begins on Wednesday and ends on Saturday night after about a four hour awards ceremony. But that's the good news. This particular event used to push midnight, and now we anticipate it ending at around 10:30.
We usually put in 18 hour days once the show finally gets going, but it really is a lot of fun. We work like maniacs but somehow manage to have a blast. As crazy as it sounds, I can't wait for it to be here, and once it's over, I'm always looking forward to next year.
Little Big Sister
Chris and I went to Bristow this weekend to visit my parents, grandparents and our family friends, the Hueys. No matter how hectic and busy our lives are, we always enjoy going to Bristow. We made the usual rounds, visiting with Mike and Elaine Huey and their parents who were in town, spending a good part of Saturday with my parents and Grandma Nellie who dropped by, and then going over to my other set of grandparents to visit with them. It was a typical weekend of eating and visiting, but the highlight by far was seeing my little sister.
My sister, Jenny, is three years younger than me. In the past 10 months she has gotten married, moved to Tulsa, gotten pregnant, graduated from college and started teaching (in that order). Talk about watching your sister grow up overnight! And now, before my very eyes, she's becoming a mother.
Jenny is now just past the four-month mark, and she's finally beginning to look pregnant. "Show me your belly!" is the first thing that came out of my mouth when she walked in the front door. I just couldn't stop staring at it. It's so weird but so fun to watch my "little" sister (and only sibling) have the first baby in our family. As the oldest, I've always been the one to experience all the firsts - first to ride a bike, drive a car, go to college, get married - so watching Jenny finally be first something, and especially at having a baby, is really quite fun.
Jenny has become quite the young woman, and as she gets a head start on motherhood, I'm looking forward to looking up to her for a change. And she's probably glad that pregnancy is one topic of which I have little knowledge, and therefore no authority to play "boss," as is my still accustomed older-sister role. Old habits do die hard, but this time I'm happy not to be first.
My sister, Jenny, is three years younger than me. In the past 10 months she has gotten married, moved to Tulsa, gotten pregnant, graduated from college and started teaching (in that order). Talk about watching your sister grow up overnight! And now, before my very eyes, she's becoming a mother.
Jenny is now just past the four-month mark, and she's finally beginning to look pregnant. "Show me your belly!" is the first thing that came out of my mouth when she walked in the front door. I just couldn't stop staring at it. It's so weird but so fun to watch my "little" sister (and only sibling) have the first baby in our family. As the oldest, I've always been the one to experience all the firsts - first to ride a bike, drive a car, go to college, get married - so watching Jenny finally be first something, and especially at having a baby, is really quite fun.
Jenny has become quite the young woman, and as she gets a head start on motherhood, I'm looking forward to looking up to her for a change. And she's probably glad that pregnancy is one topic of which I have little knowledge, and therefore no authority to play "boss," as is my still accustomed older-sister role. Old habits do die hard, but this time I'm happy not to be first.