Seeing and meeting speakers through a computer screen is not the same. In the past, TEDx was a segment on NPR, a video, a podcast. Last Saturday, I got to experience a TEDx event live in Hoboken, New Jersey, with an exceptional line-up of speakers as well as amazing entertainment.
The theme --- How Do You Show Up? It was sponsored by TEDx Hoboken Women 2018. I'll be honest, driving from Pennsylvania to Hoboken scared me to my core. I hate the confusion of the drive, the exits, and the threat of being in the Holland or Lincoln Tunnel, lost with no way out. The event was to start at 9:30. Would I be in Mid-Town Manhattan instead of Hoboken?
I wasn't even supposed to be there. A friend had the ticket and had to cancel. As often happens, my mouth opened and I heard a voice say -- "I'll take the ticket." So there I was. I showed up.
Disclosure - I know one of the speakers, Roe Couture DeSaro. I made the ornament, pictured on the left, for Roe as a gift to celebrate her participation as a speaker. (I also knew that Kristin Hartness would be speaking about Ziggy the Pig, her companion.)
Roe is the Managing Director of the Central New Jersey Chapter of E-Women. She has also been my coach. Through our coaching sessions, Roe was able to help me define my core desires and professional mission. This TEDx Talk encapsulated a small part of her program.
The title of Roe's talk was Conversational Cocktails. It was about having meaningful healthy conversations that create new possibilities. How often do we meet people and immediately make assumptions. Are we engaged with the people around us? And, are we our authentic selves or projecting a trompe l'oeil facade that we have constructed? How does this play out in our everyday personal and professional lives? Are we present? And, do we ask real questions?
Kristin Hartness was a delight when she spoke of her travels with Ziggy the Pig and Toby the Turkey. The stories themselves were great to listen to; however, the deep seated connection between Kristin and her companions was warm and heartfelt. Ziggy the Pig and Toby the Turkey, at that moment, became real beings with personality and feelings. They have been members of her family.
Lisa Lieberman-Wang spoke about the three letters that exist, unnoticed, in the word "Believe." The three letters are "Lie." How many of our beliefs are actually rooted in lies which we tell ourselves and believe to be true? How is it that we can intellectually know something is not true and yet still believe it.
Julie Lineberger, founder of Wheelpad, spoke about how her company started as a desire to help her godson, became a passion and a mission.
These are just a snippets of my notes and takeaways. Now that I have had time to reflect, what can I say about the day and experience?
I will probably not rescue farm animals. I may never have the wisdom to be a coach or create an architectural innovation; however, I have been blessed to be inquisitive and to have gratitude and appreciation for the abilities of others. When I was young, I was dismissed by a piano teacher who did not mince words when she told my mother that she was wasting time and money instructing me. My takeaway? I will never be a pianist; however, every performer needs an appreciative audience.
If you are ever given an opportunity to experience a TEDx talk in person, my advice is to jump at it.
Anne Zuckerman
#tedxwomenhoboken, #shebelievedshecould, #thislittlepiggy, #pstoad, #edithsinc
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