Here I am, at this rural young Alaskans conference, sitting in a chair, located at the end of a long hallway; adjacent to the hallway are rooms, named after Alaska places, the one in front of me is called the Kenai Room. Here, conference sessions are taking place. Other vendors are sitting at tables covered with black tablecloths. Before them, on the tables, are information about their programs and swag, lots of swag, pens, sticky pads, stickers, candy, and the like.

AAEYC Conference in Anchorage

Across from me are two representatives from the Alaska Immunization Program Vaccinations for children. Tina and Dylan are both very circumspect, simply passing on much needed information about vaccination programs.

There does not seem to be enough critical mass here, conference wise. My table is at the end of the hall and therefore not in the direct pathway of most of the session rooms. I have taken to flagging people down who are headed around the corner, to the Kenai Room, and telling them about the book project. Most are receptive to what I have to say.

This morning, I got moving late, but I was in time to get my conference buffet breakfast. I then went to get my nametag and a conference program and was told that someone else must have picked mine up. Oh oh. I asked for and got a conference program.

I had asked about doing a presentation, but I figured that since I did not hear back that I was S.O.L. Shit out of luck. But in looking at the program I discovered that I was scheduled to do the presentation that I’d entitled, “Have I got a Story for you. . .” This will be on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the same time as the Fur Rondy Reindeer Run. This is like the run for the bulls only with reindeer. If I were a conference attendee, I’d opt for the run.

I have decided to do an interactive presentation. I’ll talk about the book project and how I came up with the name and how it got started, then do a bookshare, with three books, including Michael Perry’s Forty Acres Deep. I’ll also talk about The Shepherd’s View, by James Rebanks, and Rent a Third Grader, by B.B. Hiller.

In writing the above, I realized that in writing down my presentation notes and the above dispatch that I had been drawing upon my writing-related academic training. In my mind, my mentors, Wendy Bishop, Frank Soos, and Don Murray had all stepped to the forefront of my consciousness and said ,“now’s the time,” meaning, give a presentation with no holds barred. I struggled, particularly in working on my Ph.D., to fit in the academic mold, and failed terribly. I am now freed of that mold and speaking, not in the voice of an academic, but as a writer/reader.

I have come full circle. What I am going to do is what Wendy, Frank, and Don would have done. I miss them all. The greatest unfairness in life is death. Well, they will all be with me in spirit.

Next: 52. 2/21/25: Down Time