Visions Of The Future: The Conference Obsession And Getting Cultured

A whole month of a new year is not even over, but it feels like my plans for the year are falling apart.  The resolutions are crumbling and becoming thoughts of the past. See when I started all of these plans time wasn't a factor. Inconveniencing others was not on my mind at all. When you spend your whole life trying to make your plans around other people, there comes a point where you desperately want to stop caring about what others will say or think just to make yourself happy. That is why all of my plans seem to be falling apart before I even have a chance to make them reality.

A few weeks ago I was pretty confident about all my plans. Hawaii was written in stone. Hawaii had a definite date and still does. However, I didn't consider the fact that I'd have to ask for permission to actually do the trip.

It's the same for the Blogging While Brown conference. This conference consists of bloggers from all over the world. The conference consists of networking events, training sessions, and recognition that African American bloggers are important. I imagine it must be what Heaven feels like for a writer. I planned to go almost half a year ago when I first heard about it. I couldn't make it then because of lack of money. However, I made it an obligation to go in 2012. However, that's changing. When I planned it I didn't think about what other big events would happen around the same time. I didn't think about whether I would have enough money or time to attend both events. I also didn't plan the fact that I might have to ask for permission to go.

While the Blogging While Brown conference will more than likely not happen, I've also planned to go to New York this year. There are two reasons I want to go to New York. One involves a conference called BlogHer, with happens in August. This conference is a conference consisting of women writers. I'm really addicted to the idea of conferences this year. The other reason I want to go to New York is for the artsy vibe. There's a museum dedicated to the history of sex there and a million other amazing places to learn a lot of culture.  However, before it can happen I'd still have to ask for permission to go.

The last place I planted in my mind to definitely go to is the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Conference. This conference is going to be located approximately five hours away from me. The biggest part of it is I want to drive there. Never in my life have I gone that far in a car by myself, but I want to make it an achievement. The question is will it actually happen. I'm not even a member of NABJ, but that part isn't stopping me.

There is one more. It's the National Black Book Festival, but it's located right here in Houston. That means it won't be a problem, but the others do have conflicts. Overall no matter where I go I'm in search of fulfilling my conference obsession and getting heavily cultured in a world that I will enjoy. This is not just about networking purposes. However, as mentioned above I will have to ask for permission.

When you are a kid you ask for permission from your parents to do activities and attend events. While growing up when it came to the really good stuff, I was always told that those were reserved for later. However, it's later and in the real world there are new distractions and road blocks. One of those road blocks is work and time. With a limited amount of time and a work schedule that will always be written in stone, no matter what the job, it requires permission to get away. Even when you're sick, there is an expectation of permission to take a break. No one ever taught me this back then, but now I know.

Still I must figure out how not to give up hope on achieving the goal of getting cultured and getting to the conferences that are becoming an obsession. In my next big post I'll explain why they are an obsession.