I have never been tossed about like this.
This weekend I returned to the weird and wonderful world of the conference formerly known as OCFF. The newly renamed FMO (Folk Music Ontario) is likely one of my favourite places to be. Each time you turn around there's people I haven't seen in a while, musicians I've long admired, sea shanties sung in stairwells, new contacts, new friends, new crushes, new loves, new thoughts, new music, new collaborations, new discussions, old discussions and long running jokes.
This was likely my favourite conference so far. I knew my jobs well and was able to help them run efficiently. I'm more comfortable in my skin with each passing year and not afraid to speak up and engage people. I was part of a really well attended panel that was fun and informative and it felt awesome to be able to contribute back to the community. And I've developed friendships that are comfortable even if they only happen in real life once a year.
Things in my day to day life have been stressful on and off for quite some time. Nothing huge that stands alone, but cumulatively it's enough that I've been weighed down emotionally. And didn't really notice it... Until I started to laugh this weekend.
Like really laugh.
Deep belly laughs that left me gasping
crying
coughing.
Multiple times.
When did I last laugh like that?
The fact that I had to stop and really ask myself that question hurt.
When I finally fell into bed each morning (there's no sleep at OCFF/FMO) I fell into deep sleeps- filled with dreams of joy. No nightmares, no stresses... I probably could have slept without my mouthgaurd. When I woke up, I was smiling.
That is the way to spend a weekend.
Shedding everything else.
And then I came home.
I sat on my couch and readied myself to go back to work.
And I fell over the cliff into the valley with a single phone call.
"are you at home? we lost the baby"
This weekend I returned to the weird and wonderful world of the conference formerly known as OCFF. The newly renamed FMO (Folk Music Ontario) is likely one of my favourite places to be. Each time you turn around there's people I haven't seen in a while, musicians I've long admired, sea shanties sung in stairwells, new contacts, new friends, new crushes, new loves, new thoughts, new music, new collaborations, new discussions, old discussions and long running jokes.
This was likely my favourite conference so far. I knew my jobs well and was able to help them run efficiently. I'm more comfortable in my skin with each passing year and not afraid to speak up and engage people. I was part of a really well attended panel that was fun and informative and it felt awesome to be able to contribute back to the community. And I've developed friendships that are comfortable even if they only happen in real life once a year.
Things in my day to day life have been stressful on and off for quite some time. Nothing huge that stands alone, but cumulatively it's enough that I've been weighed down emotionally. And didn't really notice it... Until I started to laugh this weekend.
Like really laugh.
Deep belly laughs that left me gasping
crying
coughing.
Multiple times.
When did I last laugh like that?
The fact that I had to stop and really ask myself that question hurt.
When I finally fell into bed each morning (there's no sleep at OCFF/FMO) I fell into deep sleeps- filled with dreams of joy. No nightmares, no stresses... I probably could have slept without my mouthgaurd. When I woke up, I was smiling.
That is the way to spend a weekend.
Shedding everything else.
And then I came home.
I sat on my couch and readied myself to go back to work.
And I fell over the cliff into the valley with a single phone call.
"are you at home? we lost the baby"
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