Pittsburgh 2009
Some of the HEA attendees at the Pittsburgh Conference
Everyone comes to a conference for different reasons; there are probably as many reasons for coming as there are travelers. This was my fourth HEA conference. I had the first-time experience long ago in Denver, so for me this was a time of reconnecting and reaffirming old friendships as well as making some new ones. One of the interesting things about being part of an organization as diverse and widespread as HEA is coming to a conference and finding out why people came.
Mothers coming to learn more and to speak to some of us about living with a difference, men making the trip to find a sense of community and acceptance. Finding peace dealing with inner demons for some, for others the satisfaction of knowing that a new generation will grow up with more communication and openness. A few minutes spent in the company of another person comforted by sharing your words, or hearing words you needed to listen to. Knowing that we truly aren’t alone, and being assured that in some small way we are making a difference. I experienced all these things at the conference, and I have realized that when it’s all said and done, we didn’t come to get something; we all gave by being there and sharing our lives for three long and intense days.
This really is a magical time, and although “life-changing event” sounds very clichéd, there is some truth in the expression. After you have been to a conference, you won’t have the same view of things and outlook on life. In that way, it is life-changing, especially if you are attending a conference for the first time.