Entries Tagged 'BlogHer Conference' ↓

Have you ever paid attention to the universe around you? I mean, REALLY paid attention? I am not sure if it’s something supernatural, something religious, something mystical, spiritual, or a big mish mash of hocus pocus mumbo jumbo, but if we are paying close close attention, the universe does send us signals. And, while taking the risk of sounding completely coo-coo for cocoa puffs, I have a feeling the Powers That Be are trying to tell me something. And I’m not getting subtle smoke signals in the distance either. Something big has been laying down a runway, with lights, and huge arrows, and blinking neon signs with the words “GO THIS WAY” all in caps, and all the gods and goddesses and wonderful souls that watch over me are jumping up and down at the end of that runway screaming: “C’mon! Yoooo whooo!!!! Over here… OVER HERE!!!!”

I know, this is a nut-so idea. I know it sounds like I’ve been spending a liiiitle too much time sniffing my kids markers. But, for real, I believe it. So let me tell you what’s going on.

I started blogging about 5 months ago. And reading back in my recent post about thanking Blog Her, you know I feel extraordinarily humbled by the fantastic opportunity I was given to attend Blog Her. It felt as if the universe opened itself up and dropped this trip in my lap. I was completely caught off guard and have been beyond appreciative. It’s honestly all I have been thinking about over the past couple of weeks. I just can’t wait. And right about when I found out I could go to Blog Her, I think that runway vaguely seemed to be coming into view.

And then it happened to me again yesterday. The universe opened itself up and dropped another fantastic opportunity in my lap. I was contacted by a PR firm representing HP and Microsoft to try out some of their products and bring them to Blog Her. What kind of products? Ohhhhh…. a laptop and video camera. For me. To use. No strings. Just see if you like them. And I don’t even have a laptop (remember, my 6 million dollar computer pieced together with parts, some dating back as far as 8 years?) and then - a video camera? Are you kidding me? I just about fainted dead away. Yup, the runway is clearly blazing with super mega watt lights. *Bing* *bing* *bing*, this way, this way, this way!

So, ok, I’ve got a free trip to this conference. And then just when I was feeling like HOW could I ever POSSIBLY be cool enough at BlogHer without a laptop but, whatevs, I’ll figure it out… um… one is now being magically delivered to me? Yup. Poof, the universe drops one from the sky. Of course.

And then there has been the support for this blog. The wonderful comments and unsolicited encouragement I’ve recieved, well, I am immensely grateful. I have made new friends and have learned amazing tips from other blogs that I have incorporated into my life. Yup, I take this positive experience and the amazing connections created with fellow bloggers as another sign. It’s honestly as clear as day, right? No doubt, the Powers That Be are absolutely doing their “over here dance” at the end of that runway.

Maybe you’d call it luck. Or a crazy coincidence. Or serendipity. Or Karma (that would be nice). Or something from a religion you believe. Whatever it is, something BIG is trying to tell me something IMPORTANT. And what do I think that is? BLOG. Write. Create. Keep doing this. If you blog it, they will come. For real folks. I think this is what some people might describe as: “A CALLING”

Too many magic (they don’t call ‘em magic for nothing) markers, I know, I know. But I had to share what’s rattling ’round in my brain. It’s what bloggers do, right?

And that’s the other thing. You see, when good things happen to me, I need to acknowledge it publicly. Why? Because I am truly grateful. I need to call right back up to that hole in the universe, where so many things seemed to have fallen out of recently, and say THANK YOU.

So those are my deep thoughts for the day. And you know I will be looking “fly” with my new gear at BlogHer too, just be sure to come over and smack me if I seem a tad too smug. But what’s more likely is that you’ll have no trouble spotting me from a far. Why? Well, I’ll be the one in some crazy hat that has a sign on it blinking “THANK YOU” out at the world around me.

I’ll let you know if that hole in the universe opens up again. Shoot, a nice family sized hybrid might fall out of there next! But in the meantime, I am going to be paying attention to these signs around me and keep heading down the path I seem to be on. It’s certainly well lit, there’s no trouble there. So, I hate to tell ya folks, blogging it is. I’m going to be around awhile.

A crazy kind of fortune fell into my lap a little while ago. I won an all expenses paid trip to this year’s BlogHer conference in San Francisco. I know. It’s absolutely unbelievable. I was completely caught off guard. And I have been sitting on this news for fear the other shoe might drop. I mean, this is just too good to be true! But no shoe has dropped, babysitting has been lined up, the ladies at BlogHer came through, conference registration is done, plane tickets are bought and a very dear friend in SF is having me stay with her. So finally… FINALLY… I would like to take this opportunity to scream my gratitude and pure jubilation from the rooftops. Ok, so bear with me, here it goes…

WAAAHHHOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I’M GOING TO BLOGHER!!! YIPPI-KI-YAY!!!! SLAP MY ASS AND CALL ME SALLY! I AM GOING TO BLOGHER!!!!!! AHHHAHAHHAAHHHHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

Phew! Hee hee, I am really going to BlogHer!

But here’s the thing. Really, the emotion that is truly filling my heart right now is gratitude. You have to understand that this trip – a trip on my own, no kids, all for me and for my brain and my new found LOVE of blogging – means more to me than one could ever imagine. You see, I have been home with my children for 5 years now. Of course, I adore them. And, although we have hardly two pennies to rub together, I feel like the richest woman in the world that we have been able to afford to have me home. But my brain is mush, folks. Honestly. I am quite sure its shrunk from misuse, the stench of ghastly diapers and too much Noggin. I have been feeling like I would never find the old me.

But then I timidly started blogging. And it was like a tidal wave of brain cells rushed back over me. I CAN think; a truly “Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz” moment, indeed.

And then I won this contest.

As you can imagine, this opportunity was absolutely unattainable before. Like so many families these days, we have nothing extra for anything as extravagant as a trip across the country for a blogging conference. Cha, RIGHT! And little ol’ me, just trying to keep up with diapers and light saber fights and smashed strawberries in the carpet… little ol’ me who pecks away at her 8 year old computer whenever a child is napping… little ol’ me who peers out into the world through her computer monitor because I just don’t get out so often…. I… *I*… get to go to BlogHer. I am humbled and beyond grateful.

The other part of this is how smoothly it has all worked out. First of all, the ladies at BlogHer rock. No doubt. Who am I? Some lowly Ragu contest winner. They sure don’t have to rush around on account of me. But they did! Thank you so much. And then my family, not quite entirely “getting” this blogging thing in the first place, well they all shuffled themselves and made it work so my kids would be looked after. Even the flight times and dates I was looking for were found without a problem. And my friend in San Fransisco is welcoming me with open arms, even though we haven’t seen each other in 10 years. To quote Natalie Merchant, it’s as if “Fate smiled at Destiny” – I am meant to be there.

Now, stop laughing, because I believe in this mystical mumbo jumbo crap. I do. I truly think the blogging thing is supposed to be happening in my life right now. So I am going to follow it and see just where it leads.

And I am so frigging PSYCHED about it!

So again, to the wonderful goddesses at BlogHer, thank you. A million times over. This is a big life changing thing for silly ol’ “weary mom whose only been blogging for 4 months” me. I don’t think you could have happened upon a more grateful winner. I am going to soak in every single second. And then, I’m going to come back here, to my 8 year old computer, and do the absolute best I can by this little blog.

“All the goddesses will come up to their ripped screen door and say ‘What do you want, dear?’ ‘I want inside.’”

-Ani Difranco