Rising. Lifting

Last night was the keynote presentation.

Abby and I had talked at length two years ago when we booked her to teach and speak at the conference.

Last night she talked about how she had written and re-written the presentation over and over again while she thought about the concept of confluences.

To me it seemed as though she had spent time peeling the layers away to reveal new truths with each layer.

When she talked about a confluence as sometimes being tumultuous, chaotic, energetic, it was as though a light had been lit.

As she explored how, in so many ways, change can be challenging, difficult, and amazing, I thought of all the times change had come to me, usually in the form of a person coming into my life to be a teacher.

At times this new direction, new energy, new person, were challenging and I was forced to change - my thinking, my life direction, my attitudes.  Perhaps 'forced' isn't the right word, although I didn't - at the time - feel I had much control over what was happening - I just knew it was going to be an exciting 'ride'!

And while I 'shot the rapids' of this energetic meeting of two 'rivers', I always, always, came through it to a deeper understanding, a greater body of knowledge.

Conferences are unique vehicles that bring disparate people together, sometimes literally from across the globe.

But we are all human beings.  We have similar dreams, hopes, desires. 

People in the craft community sometimes lament about 'politics' getting in the way of their crafting.  But throughout history textiles have pretty much always been about 'politics'.  The sumptuary laws, banning certain classes of people from wearing 'royal' purple, velvet, silk, etc.  The Luddites, trying to prevent automation from throwing thousands of weavers and spinners out of work.  The word sabotage comes from the French weavers heaving their wooden 'sabot' (clogs) through the windows of the weaving mills, trying to damage the new dobby/Jacquard looms.

Confluences of ideas can be volatile.  They can also bring light.

Thank you Abby for a thought provoking presentation and a greater understanding of how textiles are held in esteem in another context.