Filling In

Long weekend...MSUSA in St. Cloud. Had a good time despite the fact that December conference is always rough on account of the fact it is so close to the end of the semester, and I have a shit load of work to do.

I think everyone had fun, and no one told me afterwords they're never going back. There were a few dramatic moments as usual, a fairly long General Assembly meeting, Internal Affairs, and as an added bonus (or maybe added pressure?) filling in at the Board stuff. It's always interesting to do those kinds of "extra" things. Overall I quite enjoy it, although it is a very different, slightly nervous feeling being the one at "the" table. I know there were probably some people irked by one particular stance we took, "but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do"

Every month I come back from these things with a myriad of thoughts in my mind. I am frustrated by some things, energized by others. Overall, the organization never ceases to facscinate me. The people, the dynamics, the good, bad and in-between.

We were talking afterwords today as we ate lunch before returning to Bemidji, and I think Nicole summed it up pretty well: as crazy as these conferences can be, and as much as I may complain about the little things, I still love them. Why else would I keep going back after 3.5 years? I think some of it stems from the fact that at one never knows what will happen next.

MSUSA...a great advocacy group, but also part social org, soap opera and suspense novel. How could anyone not love it?