TED2009 my final TED experience!

Posted on | February 8, 2009 | No Comments

At 3:30pm yesterday on the 7th of February I was leaving, trying to make my way to the door of the arena at Long Beach to physically pull away from the TED experience.

It is not that I wanted to leave, I didn’t/I don’t, but I must.

I must leave because I need to take these connections, ideas, energy, feelings, impulses, things we at TED 2009 felt but may not know how to draw for others to experience.

But the curious thing is I could not get to the door!

It took me an hour to get from a farewell hug with an extraordinary woman who somehow, to this moment feels like a long lost sister, to actually make it out of the door!

And along the way, to that door, I continued to meet new people and hear new stories. Connections were even made with the wait staff, extraordinary!

I finally made it out of the arena and there, like magnet pulling me back was Jim, a long time TED donor maybe the only person with a whole family in TED, again we broke into conversation and made an extraordinary connection!

20 minutes later, walking towards the hotels, with a TEDster, I broke free.

I was walking alone for 5 minutes 43 seconds before I was pulled back for a final TED experience as I reached out and spoke to yet another delegate who was also making the break.

When I was let go from TED, I know this sounds like a scene of Star Trek, I felt strangely different.

What is that difference?

I can not explain how it is that I have met a handful of people that I feel like I have known all my life.

I cannot explain how it is that to see these people, watch them, listen and interact strangely felt like a reunion.

But how do you have a reunion with people you have never met? And may not see again.

The point is the door has been opened to a social, intellectual, philosophical bond with a group of people I will use all my energy to keep that door open!

It is a rare time and place to connect with people on so many levels once the social constructs we live in are removed and it is just that environment I have lived in for 4 days.

Unconditional interest.

Unconditional friendship.

Unconditional…

TED has for me started a ball rolling and I cannot see how it will stop and don’t want it to stop.

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