I had the opportunity to go to TEDxVictoria today. While I couldn’t stay for its entirety, what I was able to be part of was yet another tremendous TEDx experience.
Held in the spacious Victoria Conference Centre, the event was a top-notch one that was organized by an equally top-notch team of committed volunteers (some of whom had been part of the TEDxJuanDeFuca event that took place earlier this year) and they deserve as many accolades as can be hurled their way. Just as the legacy of TED is special, so are those who identify with what it stands for so closely that they are willing to do whatever it takes to bring one to their hometown. My thanks to everyone involved for making it happen.
One of the best portions of the sessions was when Jim Tanaka demonstrated a technology that has been designed to allow those who have autism to improve their skill level with what he termed as “face “expertise”. Words can’t fully describe the magic that happened in the theatre when the demonstration took place. It was definitely a TED moment.
I had to leave before the last session, but of the speakers I saw I was most impressed by Sean Richardson (who spoke on mental toughness), Dave Morris (who talked about the “way of improvisation”), Alexandra Samuel (who delivered an abridged version of the talk I saw her do at Northern Voice 2011) and “global troubadour” Raffi Cavoukian (who spoke on cultivating a connection between children and the earth — which means everyone and the planet we live on). All were inspiring, exhilarating, moving and powerful in their own way.
This is the third TEDx event I’ve been to, and all of them have offered amazement in some form or another. Whether during, between or after the sessions, it’s nearly impossible to walk away from a TEDx event without having been inspired or being called to action. If you’ve never been to one, you really should explore going to one in your neck of the woods.
Until then, you can always watch the videos at TED.com as a primer. But it’s not quite like being there, that’s for sure.
I am certainly glad I went to TEDxVictoria today. It’s another TEDx success story worth sharing.
