It is, once again, time for UU General Assembly and I am not there. At least I think it is going on. I can only really tell by the various Facebook updates of my friends. It must be in Charlotte, NC because that is where most of my colleagues appear to be seeking restaurants in which to eat with other colleagues.
I haven't been to GA for a long time. My last one was in Boston in 2003, a massive chaotic blob of an event which I entered into during the day and then retreated from in the evening to my friend Hank's house in Medford. My favorite GA was in Quebec City where I shared a tiny dorm room (the "cheap housing option") with Son #1 at a local university. We would get yelled at by senior colleagues for being too loud, though I think they were really mad at the teens who would run about at all hours being high schoolers in a college dorm. I thought they lent a certain excitement to an event that was otherwise dominated by old people.
My son was a pre-schooler then. The best moment for me came near the end when, after a particularly exhausting day he said "Dad...we are partied out." He was right. I don't think either of us have been that partied out since. We spent the rest of week subsisting on cheese curd and apples purchased at the college store...awesome.
Boston was in 2003. Since then...nothing. The reasons have been varied. Regular readers know that I now serve a congregation affiliated with both the UUA and the UCC. This means there are lots of meetings. I cannot make them all. Also, as is the norm with ecumenical congregations, denominational loyalty isn't a high priority. My time, therefore, is often better spent elsewhere. Perhaps most importantly, GA is expensive. I don't have a whole lot of money to travel around to national events, even if my friends are there. Finally, it doesn't really fit my schedule. The kids are getting out of school today. I need to be here for them.
So GA isn't really a big part of my life, Still, I do miss parts of it. It would be nice to see people, though I suspect that I am only dimly remembered (if at all) by the GA-attending clergy. I will watch parts of GA online and keep up with a few of the blogs. I expect to see some pictures of happy colleagues on Facebook. Maybe I will go purchase some cheese curd right now...
For those of you who may also be at home this week, here are the links I will be following...
UU World has fairly comprehensive coverage. You can get to most stuff by following Chris Walton's links posted there.
I will also be reading Yet Another UU, Boy in the Bands, and Beauty Tips for Ministers. This is partly because they are my friends and I can imagine them there having a good time without me. Also, they tend not to be too "party line" in their approach. You can always go to UUpdates, of course, for multiple giddy blog entries. Some of them are quite good...
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