Well, I'm sitting here listening to the banquet on
ACB Radio Mainstream and now that the convention is, for all intents and purposes, over, I thought I'd give some thoughts and impressions.
A few days ago I said that I wished I had gone after all, and that's still true, but I learned several things while sitting here at my computer listening to the convention sessions.
- Listening at home gives me the opportunity to make comments that I would never be permitted to make otherwise.
- I can talk to people using IM software and not get yelled at for talking too much.
- I can laugh at the things that said IM person says and nobody will think I'm going nuts.
- If I find something funny that either is actually funny, or maybe isn't funny, but for some strange reason I find it funny, I can laugh at it and not have people thinking I'm nuts.
- No breaks during the morning and afternoon Friday sessions mean nothing to me; I can get up and move around without a name tag or without someone thinking I'm voting for something I don't want, and all I have to do is crank up my speakers.
- I can still get the echo effect of the convention hall by turning on two different computers since the streak will most likely not match up exactly.
- No guilt. I don't feel obligated to purchase a $50 raffle ticket in the hopes that I'll win $5000.
- No long lines. I can get my food when I want it, know for sure what I'm eating, and not have to worry about someone accidentally knocking my food out of my hand as I make my way to a table. "Oops. i'm really sorry ... I didn't see you ..."
- No tempting impulse buying sprees at the exhibit hall. hey, now I have more money to spend at the exhibits next year!
- Sending emails during the convention sessions is so much easier than taking notes in order to fill people in on things.
Wow! What a list. Maybe sometime I'll do another list--things I missed out on because I couldn't be at the convention. I think if I honestly hadn't wanted to be there I wouldn't have spent so much time glued to this machine and voluntarily using Doubletalk speech. SMILE! I do have to say now though that I never realized before this year just how valuable ACB Radio actually is for those who aren't able to attend the convention. Since I couldn't be there, having the ability to listen online was definitely the next best thing.