… I will be heading toward the public library to set up for the first Bloomington RootsCamp. I’ll be carrying some basic materials — markers, big post-it notes, paper, masking tape (all things I have to buy or have provided) — into a room I have never entered hoping to find people ready to talk about politics. It is disconcerting to not have a clear idea of what is going to happen, but that is part of the magic.
Worst case scenario: one and only one person shows up for each session. This is worse than no one showing up because I will feel responsible for that person taking the time to come out in the first place.
Best case scenario: 75 people (50 new, 25 regulars) participate in each session. That translates to about 20 conversations per session, on average, and gives us lots of fodder for processing on the Web after the event. More than 75 could get hard to manage and make it impossible for me to actively participate in conversations.
Either way, I’m going to make use of the time and connections available to me. If it’s just me, I’ve got a lot of time to wiki, blog and sketch. If it’s just one other person, I’ll engage as much as they are willing. If there are 10 or 100, that’s the right number for that particular time in this particular situation.
HOWEVER, it would be much appreciated if some in the Informatics community could let me know which session(s) they will be attending. And any alumni who happen to be in the area Nov 17-18, please help me out and drop by for a discussion or two. Bring a friend. Bring two.
Alleviate my anxiety. Please.
