Posted by Marty on: 05.17.2006 /
Several people have expressed an interest in possibly getting together in small regional groups and take our virtual conversation to a real conversation and see where that might lead us.
I have exchanged e-mails with Jim/Lisa/Ir and found that they would be very pleased if small local groups emerged out of what has taken place in this blog. They made it clear that they (OTM) are not in a position to put this together - while at the same time they would very much like to see others of us gather together and get to know one another - and see where (if anywhere) each group might choose to go. They would be very pleased to get feedback from the groups, have that information posted on the blog and encourage us in any way that they can - within their limited resources.
I for one would very much like to be a part of this - and am prepared to help pull this together in Southern California.
Would you like to be a part of getting together in a local/regional group of people from this blog/discussion board?
Are you willing/wanting to host such a get together?
If either of these are true - would you indicate the city/area that you live? In addition to sharing that here - you might add that information to your discussion board profile - if you haven’t already.
How far would you be willing to travel for such a get together?
If you were to be a part of a local get together - what kinds of things would you like to discuss/have happen?
I’ll start with my responses below.
Comment by: Siamang
1I live in So Cal. Los angeles. My schedule with my family makes me want to keep it local.
Heck, I’d lust like to get together over a friendly meal. Perhaps at a nice restaurant where people can linger and talk.
Comment by: Marty
2Yes I would very much like to get together with any and all of my fellow bloggers in this area.
I would be very pleased to host it in my home in Goleta/Santa Barbara - 100 miles north of Los Angeles. If you come (I also welcome individuals if you are somehow coming into the area) I will take you around the lake near my house - which I promise you that that alone will be worth the trip.
I am aware that the center of a potential group is far south of here - and I am willing to go 120 miles south to be a part of such a meeting.
My first interest is just the curiosity factor. What do other people look like? How are they the same or different from how they seem to come across on this blog/db?
Then I am interested in hearing first hand about how this experience have been to each of us - what did we learn, how did we change, what had the most impact on each of us.
I then am interested in exploring whether there are any possibilities for something beyond this first meeting. Would we like to develop dialogues between Atheists/Christians (and possibly others) in our local area and if so - what would that look like? If I can be a catalyst/resource to help an area get that going - I would be very pleased to do so. I am committed to doing this in the Santa Barbara area - and if someone like Siamang (I undertand he lives in my “region”) was willing to come help launch it here - I would be very appreciative.
It seems like the one thing that most, if not all of those of us on this blog have indicated is a big interest is in helping make the world a better place. That is really our commonality and a key part of our learning to respect and appreciate each other. I expect that everyone on this board is already doing that in their own unique way. Can we in some way help each other in this - and if so - how? (this is probably too much for a first meeting).
Comment by: Mike C
3I wouldn’t mind coordinating a Chicago area get together, especially if Hemant would be willing to join us. I can probably find us a “neutral” location (i.e. not a church building) in the west suburbs if people are willing to come out that way.
-Mike
Comment by: Jim Henderson
4why not a church :-)
Hey - Hemant and I had our first meeting in a bar- maybe it needs to be in a bar
Comment by: Julie Marie
5I’d enjoy sitting down to dinner with y’all…but I think I’m too far off the map, alas…
Comment by: isaone
6I also would like to meet physically but it seems the nearest poster to me (Nashville) is TXatheist so it is not likely.
Comment by: Julie Marie
7and for some southern country humor:
whats the plural of y’all?
all y’all.
Comment by: NCxian
8Julie, where I come from, y’all is already plural. “All y’all” is, like, super-inclusive plural. Like “All y’all on this board have some great thoughts” (not just “some of y’all”)
I reckon Nutrideath could host you, me and Isaone in Charlotte. That would be a hoot! I wonder if we would all come out alive!
Comment by: Peter in Pennsylvania
9Wow, I’m WAY out in the boonies of Wester PA. If I were closer to all y’all I’d host, too. But I wanna go to Charlotte. THAT sounds interesting!
;-)
Comment by: julie Marie
10that makes sense. my interpretation is what happens when a midwestern girl gets transplanted and tries to decipher colloquialisms. Even if she was transplanted in the 5th grade….;)
I’d go to Charlotte to meet you and Nutrideath and Isaone.
Comment by: Julie Marie
11and Peter, if you came down from the wilds of western PA, that would be terrific!
Comment by: TXatheist
12I was waiting to tell the board because this is NOT a done deal ! I just got a new job offer yesterday but I already bought airline tickets to be in the Chicagoland (Joliet)area the end of June/beginning of July. It’s up in the air still pending my new boss. I’d invite you all to Texas but we got too many xians already :) With the guest speakers coming to Austin the Texas national guard is already on alert for an abundance of freethinkers.
Comment by: Ir
13WOW TX! Maybe I’ll get to meet you! I’ll be around then except July 8-15.
Does that mean your new job would be here?
I was going to say I’m up for meeting people in the Chicagoland area. Mike, it would have to be closer to Chicago than you are - I just don’t see myself having time to get all the way out to you. No offense.
Comment by: Mike C
14What about something sort of “half-way”, like Glen Ellyn/Downers Grove area? That would be easier for me to get to than downtown, and it’s only about 45 minutes from the city if traffic isn’t bad.
Comment by: becca
15How about the gulf coast? Are any of y’all from this part of the country? You might not want to come between June 1st and October 1st…but that would just give us time to plan. I think we have a group of people here who would be interested.
Comment by: Peter in Pennsylvania
16I’ll be in Chicago the second week of June for Willow Creek’s Arts conference! I’ll be there too early to meet you TX, too bad, you’re one of the people I’d like to meet the most! (No offense to you others, I just get a buzz from people I can disagree with the most and still like! I didn’t used to be like that…)
Comment by: Eliza
17I’m up in the boonies of Seattle ;)
Amazing coincidence, I live 1 mile from off-the-map’s mailing address. Lisa and I may get together for coffee or a drink (I suppose it depends on time of day, and our mutual coin-flip at the time!) - work/family/time is the main constraint for me.
I imagine that, at least at a first get-together, we would all mostly just talk and get to know each other as people - find out who is behind the screen and keyboard!
Comment by: Eliza
18P.S. I’m hoping to stop in at OTM’s conference in November here in Seattle - but of course there’s a medical conference in town those same 2 days that I’m supposed to attend also. Jim and Lisa, are you planning anything for the November conference that would be related to A/C conversations? Lisa’s writeup from last year’s event described a wonderful Christian conference - one I would have felt like an interloper at - though maybe now after all of these discussions here I would approach it differently, be more able to enjoy the parts that spoke to me, without feeling like a fraud for being there!
Comment by: Lisa W.
19Eliza,
As for the Nov.Conference: I’m not sure what we’ll be planning as far as conversations of A/C’s. I imagine something will spring up.
The conference itself will include conversations on stage with folks who are not Xian. These are always amazing interviews. It’s the most ‘non-Christiany’ Christian conference I’ve ever attended. I KNOW you’d get a kick out of it. And Hey, Jim’s band will be performing so that’s a hoot. Bag the Medical conference and come play at the OTM conference.
Some libation awaits us, Eliza. I’m thinking the Edmonds waterfront and a good micro-brew.
Comment by: TXatheist
20No, my folks live near Joliet. That’s where I was born and raised for the most part. I’m just “planning a visit” but it depends on my new employer. I’m still in the Austin area. Ir, I’ve got your email so I’ll let you know. I thought about trying to meet up with that minister that had the “April 1st is atheist’s holiday” on his marquee. I’ve got one more idea that I’m still pondering though. The baptist minister and I would most likely just debate and agree to disagree as I’ve met his kind a million times before, nice but just not going to accomplish anything worth while.
Comment by: Jayson B.
21given enough time to plan I’d be willing to go anywhere, since I’m out of the way.
Comment by: isaone
22Maybe we should start an annual conference like James Randi did with TAM (The Amazing Meeting). I think it should be either in the heart of the Bible Belt (In some places south of Nashville (Texas for example) they can make my fellow Nashvillians seem like non believers) or maybe in Washington so that the politicians can see how people who may not agree can still work together (something that is sooooooo missing in our current political climate).
Comment by: Julie Marie
23isaone, I like your idea. But I would like to meet the folks I’ve been talking with for the past two months on a more informal, non agenda driven basis first.
Jayson, you are out of the way up there. We’ll be sure to give you enough of a heads up to make it to Charlotte if you can. I’m sure a visit to NC will test your tolerance….but then, maybe not. Charlotte is pretty cosmopolitan for a southern city. Heck, my best agnostic friend lives there ;)
Comment by: Ir
24isaone, in case you didn’t know, Off The Map does have an annual conference each November. It’s in Seattle since that’s where Off The Map is based.
Comment by: Eliza
25Lisa W. and I met for margaritas yesterday - it was nice to chat! And we (actually, the table at which we were sitting) either experienced a sign from God, or a call of nature, as manifest from the hind end of a bird ;)