More Lies

Yup, I was wrong--I actually do have internet here! There's a "business center" since this is a business convention-type hotel, and they have computers to use with free internet and even complimentary printing. Whoa. So I can't get on very often, but I'll probably be checking things out at least once a day.

The convention so far is pretty intense. I'm not learning as much as I expected--after LuAnn's really excellent development class, I'm not sure there's a whole lot more to learn without any actual experience--but it's still interesting. Everything that's being presented is presented in a different way than I've heard it before, so that's good. Also, I'm getting a great resource book (900-page, 4-inch 3-ring binder with a CD and copyable overheads, etc.) which should help once I am in a place where this is practical information for me.

The conference has reaffirmed for me that while I want to do fundraising, I'm not interested in it in the traditional sense. I have no desire to work for an academy. It's too hard--you're a one-man show, no one understands what you're trying to do, they want you to raise millions on no budget whatsoever, etc. It just doesn't work well--not only can you not get much done, but it's a huge headache just to exist in that sort of environment. I want to work for something small--so I'm okay with doing other jobs in addition to fundraising, as that's the reality in small organizations--and a place where they have a clear purpose and institutional identity. That identity requires that I can wear jeans to work if I want to. I most likely won't on most days, but it has to be an option. I don't think I want to do denominational work. Granted, I'm expecting to work for Union starting out, and none of these things are true for them; however, I think I would just want that to be a springboard job. Ultimately I'd like to work for a new non-profit or help set one up. That'd be way cool.

Last night after our meetings I set out to find out what was around within walking distance and get some supper. I was walking down the street and on the other side, about half a block up, was another guy from our convention. He's the annual fund director for Walla Walla. Nice guy, I had already noticed, and we'd exchanged nods over the commonalities of our positions. Anyway, so I'm walking, and he crosses the street and waits for me to catch up to see if I want to get dinner together. I told him I wasn't really looking for food yet, and wasn't quite hungry, and was just going to look around. "Okay, that sounds good!" he said. Hmm. So we walked around a bit and found a great little local Asian grill place, and we ate and talked and got to know each other a little. After we'd finished, I told him that I was going to find a little coffee shop and sit down to read awhile. "Oh, I have to make some phone calls, so I'll join you!" he said. As nice as he is, I'd had a long day, and just needed some alone time to unwind. But we found a coffee shop and I attempted to read my book with him in the chair next to me chatting on the phone. And then with him next to me leafing, bored-like, through a magazine. I was seriously wondering what was up. This went on for over an hour. Was he waiting for me? Was he afraid I couldn't find my way back on my own? Was he actually interested in his empty coffee cup? Was he expecting me to leave soon and go somewhere else? What's going on? So I just took my dear sweet time, and finally he said he was leaving to go back to the hotel, and when I got back I should find him if I wanted to, 'cause he'd be bored. I stayed at the coffee shop for a while, and then browsed through Target and Payless, and took my dear sweet time walking back before almost running into him in the lobby. He was there on his laptop, but I dashed into an elevator before he saw me. (For any freaking-out family members out there who are wondering what my unmarried self could possibly be doing trying to ditch a 25-year old Adventist stranger--he was wearing a wedding ring. Not so content with singledom that I didn't at least glance to check for that bit of trivia.) But isn't that a little weird? Is that just an extrovert thing? I'm happy to socialize with strangers--heck, it's all I've been doing in between all the meeting-sitting so far--but do we really have to hang out all evening? What's the harm in a solitary hour enjoying a book?

I was proud of my independence, and a tad peeved at the nice man's crowding of it. But I walked all over the area and figured out my way around, and that was fun. Also, I'm entirely confident being here, even though I'm young and inexperienced and in a new place with strangers. So that's a nice new side of myself that has just come about in the last little while. In fact, my consumption of the free coffee probably makes me a little overly confident and chatty.

You could pray that Jesus shuts my mouth, calms my mind, and gives me patience.