Tag: Steve Browne

United State of Mind

I’m well and truly back from the USA. The jet lag has passed, the laundry is done and I’m rapidly back to speaking English English not American English (pants, chips, taxis – you get the picture). And a few things remain powerfully uppermost in my mind about the trip.

The Flag

Stars and Stripes

The Stars and Stripes is everywhere. To me it represents a powerful symbol for integrating the difference without losing it. I like seeing the national flag about the place, and I hope the UK continues it’s renewed interest in flags beyond the Jubilee celebrations and particularly the Olympics and Paralympics. I’m stuck on the whole republic/monarchy thing. I’m not a fan of the royal family per se, and nor do I want President Blair/Brown/Cameron/Clegg or whoever for that matter. But the flag can and should be about the people, and I think it was great to see it flying everywhere here through our sporting summer. Long may that continue – fly your flag.

The Welcome

Being on the road is great fun, and at the same time being away from your family sucks. Being made to feel so very welcome by so many people (and the pic above could have been soooooo much bigger), was fantastic. It felt so natural and it meant so much.

The Enthusiasm

People warned me about this. Those Americans – they’re so bloody enthusiastic! Actually it was said in a good way but I was left flying over to the US wondering how this enthusiasm thing would play out. What I experienced was probably closer to willingness, being more open to possibilities. As with everything you find a balance that hopefully suits you and I am an optimist by nature, but I’ve come back from America thinking even more determinedly about the yes than the no.

Video Diary

Because we like to take thing in in different ways I’m closing this post with a visual summary of my experience. I hope you’ll take a look, it clocks in at around 30 seconds so it’s not your usual post trip slideshow bonanza. And it has a rocking soundtrack.

Hot off the Press

I’m very excited to find out that in April 2013 I’m off to Louisiana to take part in their annual state HR conference. More on this soon.

Love’s Great Adventure

I took a trip to the High Line earlier in the week. It’s a disused high level railway line remodelled as a walkway/park, a simply stunning piece of urban renewal. You get to see Manhattan from a new perspective and the details in the paving, planting, seating…well everything really, are a credit to the designers and team of people who keep it looking great. Cue some pictures:

The Details

The Art

The Ads

As I walked along the High Line I became increasingly aware that all the places to stop and sit were designed for more than one person, and that pretty much everyone else walking around was with someone else. I sat down just for a minute, 3,500 miles from home and I’ve rarely felt so alone. I’m having a fantastic trip and missing Carole and Keira enormously too.

I loved my visit to Ohio, it was outstanding. The people and the atmosphere and the sharing and learning was great. And Steve Browne’s ‘Hey Doug, let’s go hit each other!’ line to me at the carnival on the second evening will forever be my favourite invitation to play.

I’m loving my visit to New York City. Places revisited, new experiences, I’ve met up with an old friend and seen some lovely people in real life for the first time too. And tomorrow promises to be an interesting day as the New York office of Thomson Reuters gets to experience an unconference, UK style.

I’m loving the online time too – sharing photos and ideas with people here in the US and back home, and Skypeing with Carole and Keira most days has been wonderful.

And I love my family. I’m just about ready to go home.

 

You’re Welcome

It’s the final day of the Ohio SHRM conference and I’m looking forward to it. When I get to New York I’ll write about the event and my experiences in more detail. For now, I just want to share my first and what will likely be my most abiding memory of the whole thing.

I’ve been made so very welcome by everyone I’ve met. I’ve been high fived and hugged, had great conversations and great laughs and been given loads of encouragement. If I had to sum it up in one word – I’d call it friendship.

And this mood has pervaded the whole experience – there’s simply a great vibe here in Ohio – I’m so glad I came to visit. The organising committee is doing a fantastic job to ensure that all of us guests have the best experience possible.

‘The guy with the accent’ just wants to say thank you.