Let’s begin at the beginning, shall we?
Recently, I attended a virtual conference presenting topics like inclusion, psychological safety, health equity, and belonging. I heard from a person in the community with an invisible disability/illness and healthcare workers who are innovating care in the places it matters most — their communities.
The magic of a conference is the bringing together of minds — the collective and collaborative energy melding into the lovely stew of human experience.
The challenge of a virtual conference is — networking… Networking online is… difficult (almost non-existent). Folks are encouraged to host “watch parties” where humans gather and watch the conference presentations together. That’s a start, but it doesn’t bring in the delight of meeting new people, or connecting on shared problems in new ways.
But this virtual conference was an exception. At least, it became the exception.
I was listening to the closing remarks of a speaker, and raised a question in the Q&A (a typed chat where the audience could pose questions/comments to the speaker, but could not directly interact with each other). I asked/stated something about my challenges connecting with people virtually and in real life, especially regarding caregivers and my attempts to develop a web of support for them in the community.
If I remember correctly, my question was raised, the presenter attempted to respond, but surprisingly the main point I was going for was missed. Or so I thought/felt.
Shortly after, I received a private message from an attendee. Someone I didn’t know.
Pause for effect.
“Hi Jessica we are both in the invisible illness conference. I love your idea about connecting caregivers and its been something I have been working on to find solutions as well. Do you want to connect and chat at some point?”
DO I WANT TO CONNECT AND CHAT AT SOME POINT??!!!
YES, and…
Where do you begin when someone is already on a path toward the same hopeful future as you? How does a conversation start when you’ve both put a lot of thought into the same, deep, nuanced, wicked problems facing you in your personal and professional lives?
What happens next?
I’ll tell you, but first, will you please take a moment to fill out this survey about care in the community (whether you are a caregiver, were a caregiver, or may be a caregiver) — only a few more responses are needed for completion and the more the merrier. If you’re receiving this message, this survey is for you:
Here’s the link in case the button doesn’t work: https://mycaregivercompass.com/jobssurvey/
What happened next?
An explosion of ideas.
A sharing of experiences.
A spark we had both been carrying around on separate journeys found common ground.
We got to start from the middle. And she shared the work she’s doing to develop My Caregiver Compass: https://mycaregivercompass.com/
This was one of the most fulfilling, serendipitous series of chance encounters I could never have imagined. This is, figuratively and literally, a dream coming true.
So if you haven’t already, here’s the survey one more time. I encourage you to take it, share it, and spread the word. Help is on the way.
Take good care.
Love,
Jessie
PS: Sorry for the multiple subscribe buttons below (I can’t get rid of them) :D
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