Sponge Mode at BlogHer

The BlogHer conference is wonderful, stimulating, frenzied, and exhausting; these are all good things. I would not have expected less. There are at least a thousand bloggers here, 98 percent of them women and a few brave men. They blog about everything from 'A to Z'. Many are younger (much younger) than I, work with blogging for a living, and are tech savvy and confident in the arenas of social networking and community. Many have found niches within the blogging world (my goal) and many actively pursue connections that create their futures. I am energized by these possibilities.

I'm in "sponge mode", soaking up snippets of information that may (or may not) be useful to me when I have a moment to sit back and think about my personal goals in this strangely wonderful world of blogging. I expected this and am pleased that I'm neither overloaded, dismayed, nor feeling trivialized. There's much to consider and more opportunities than I ever imagined. Bottom line: I did the right thing to get my weary bones to this conference. I know one thing for certain: I am a blogger.

And I know a few other things too:
1. I can write.
2. I can listen.
3. I can discern: this is a skill from doctoring (no need for details here)
4. I have a weakness for books; the Internet cafe and "bookstore" (all kinds of books: fiction, memoir, how to blog, etiquette , parenting) with authors present to sign their books is a huge pull.
5. I am totally addicted to coffee. Duh.
6. There is a ton of food at BlogHer. Lots of carbos which is a drug for me.

The last two nights I've awoken dreaming, something unusual for me. These are not blogging dreams by any means; that would be too "nice". These dreams place me in uncomfortable settings where I'm trapped (sort of). There's always a way out of the misery; (1) time (wait it out), (2) savvy choices, and (3) ownership of the process. I dreamed of mentors from my past, my current work and how it restricts my breath but the details I'll ponder further to glean the lessons.

With a mini-jolt of in-room coffee (weak as brown water), I'll get this posted and off to Day 2 of the conference.