If there is any theme for our trip to Tampa for these two weeks, it would be "It's a Small World." This has largely to do with the convergence of General Conference, Disney and other vacation fun, and doing it all with our 17 month old daughter Anna in tow.
A few months ago, we went ahead and made plans to be in Tampa for the two weeks of General Conference. My husband Chris had been elected as a lay jurisdictional delegate, and the order in which he'd been elected meant he was third in line as General Conference alternate. Only the first two alternates go. We figured we'd be set in case he was needed, and if not, we'd have time for vacation, to visit my mother's side of the family, and to dip our feet into the General Conference scene.
As it has turned out, we find ourselves in the "if not" scenario, and it's been a good fit for us. We arrived Monday after leaving our house at 3:30 a.m. (ouch) and catching a morning flight. Spent the rest of the day hanging out with my grandmother (Nana) then Tuesday, heading into Tampa midday for Chris to register and so we could check things out before opening worship. We ran into several people from our conference (we like them, so that was fun), found the nearby Publix (as one does when one forgets to put the diaper bag in the car), and began to see what an awesomely international group comes together at General Conference.
At Opening Worship, Anna did pretty well (for a 17 month old) and even got her picture taken by a few international delegates when she insisted on dancing to the worship music--this was just before she made a made dash to enter the bar of the conference, but lacking the proper credentials, I suggested she return later (like 20 years later) when she had them in hand.
Chris said his favorite part was one he'd been told about--when everyone said the Lord's Prayer in their own language. What had surprised him the most about it was not only that you could hear different language, but you could not at all pick out English as even the predominant language.
The small world continued when we got up to our communion station to discover Bishop Peggy Johnson and receive the cup from her. Not only is she from our conference, but Manidokan (where Chris is director) now hosts the Deaf Camp that she had been so involved in while she was in the BWC, and her husband once served what was my first appointment.
On our way home Tuesday evening, feeling we had begun to get the swing of things, and seeing the incredible weather forecasted for the next day, we forsook our original plans to take on Disney during our second week. It. Was. Awesome. Anna had loads of fun, and that made it lots of fun for us. Checking out the "It's a Small World" ride just made me think so much of what General Conference is--and also the way it reminds me of the words I use as a dismissal from communion, that all people of all times and places are made one in the sacrament.
In another "It's a Small World moment, on the ferry out of the Magic Kingdom Wednesday evening, we ran into a mother and her son, who was 17 months old. Lo and behold, he had the exact same birthday as Anna! It's a small world, after all.
Today, we took another early wake up and were out the door by 6 to gather with Duke alums for breakfast. Took an elevator up with Bishop Scott Jones and his wife (the parents of a Duke Div-er, and of course Bishop Jones' father and brother were both deans--and I got to know Greg and Susan Jones and their kids while I was there). Bishop Jones introduced himself, and I said "Yes, I've read your books!" It's a small world, after all.
Got to touch base with several folks I knew at the Duke breakfast, and just generally reconnect with my Duke-y-ness. Duke was a challenging place, but an awesome one. I have lived so many years in my conference with a light spattering of Duke folks, and it did my soul well to be back with my fellow Blue Devils in ways that are hard to explain. I may have been away for a while, but it felt like home being back with my fellow Duke Div folks. It's a small world, after all (despite it not always feeling so).
I ran into two of my Duke classmates when I got back to the convention center--first Ashley Wilkinson Meyer, who I got to say hi to briefly as she was taking care of business for the conference secretary, and then I ran into Oliver Box (incidentally, the three of us plus one other student had been in a MINOR car accident together our first year at Duke--it's a small world, after all).
Had a good talk with Oliver. It was good, again, to catch up with the Duke roots that have nurtured me. Shared stories of shared classes--including his memory of my class presentation of my paper in our ecumenism class with Dr. Wainwright. Apparently I started by saying, "Well, everyone can't be right. So someone is just going to have to give."
While we were speaking, and Indian delegate--who had taken a photo of Anna at opening worship came to get her (and our) info so he could submit the photo for publishing. I'm not exactly sure where he was going to submit it to--but you never know. It's a small world, after all.
Spent the next couple of hours hanging out with Chris during his break (he hit a couple committees to observe) and checked out a local playground. Got Anna lunch, which she finished while watching a couple different UM choirs perform on the second floor (pretty cool!) and chatting with the Duke external relations folks who also happened to be up there watching the performances. Throughout the afternoon, Anna was greeted by SO many different people, with different accents and even different languages (she apparently didn't understand the French greetings of some African delegates). She seemed happy to see them all, though. Which is good. It's a small world, after all.
Chris was impressed by a few things during his committee observations--including that young adults were chairing both of the subcommittees he sat in on (and doing a really good job of it) and also the coolness of seeing people who spoke different languages engaging in discussion of the issues at hand. It's a small world, after all, you know.
We've had a really cool trip so far, and are really looking forward to what the rest of our time and the rest of General Conference brings. We've be constantly reminded throughout of just how small a world it is, and how connected all of us all. Which makes me feel very good about the strength of our UM connection despite all the challenges we face. I pray that two weeks from now, we all leave here having heard God's voice and remembering and living out the deep and abiding truth that it is indeed a small world!
