Words just don’t cut it

2397118281_54aecdecc0 I believe words are incredibly powerful.  They can push past someone’s fear.  They can inspire someone to act.  They can humble the proudest of men. They can bring someone to their knees. They can also touch a heart and change it forever.

But for the past two days I have been trying to get them to do the impossible. 

Describe Blogger Social weekend.

I simply cannot do it justice.  Maybe that’s because the weekend wasn’t about words.  It wasn’t cerebral or of the mind. 

It was all about the soul.

Magnockme It was hearing a laugh you’d imagined many times. It was about sipping sour only to discover that in the UK it’s called bitters.

It was scooting close to pose for yet another photo. It was cramming into cabs in search of an open diner at 3 am, simply because you weren’t ready to say good-bye.

Welcome It was watching two old friends hug for the first time.  It was the sizzle of bacon as you share breakfast with buddies who are like brothers to you, even though they live half way across the world.

It was about goofy corsages, a shared cookie, and being friends 4ever.

It was about laughter.  And tears. 

It was about soaking each other in, knowing it would be a while before we’d be together again.

Gavdrew It was the discovery that everyone was just as you expected them to be.  And reveling in how wonderful that is.

It was about everything that truly matters.  And I simply don’t have the words to describe it.

23 comments on “Words just don’t cut it

  1. David Reich says:

    Words don’t cut it, you say? I think your words came pretty close, Drew. It was all the things you describe… and much more.

  2. Mack Collier says:

    Yep that’s the thing, you had to be there. I’m sure everyone that didn’t go is wondering why we keep yammering on about how amazing it was. Hopefully many of them will realize what all the fuss is about next year 😉

  3. It was awesome. That was the best time I’ve had in a long while. Thanks so much for organizing with CK!

  4. John Rosen says:

    Drew: Well done!! Best time I’ve had in a while. As I put it in my blog, I didn’t expect to have that much fun.

    Thanks for all your hard work. I hope we can make this an annual event!

    John

  5. Drew, I’m still trying to sort it all out and put it into words. I love how you have captured so much here. This was beyond my wildest expectations. It was uplifting, inspiring and totally magical. Thank you so very much! You and Ginger have more than lived up to your reputations..

  6. Toby says:

    Drew – It was like chocolate truffles for the soul. Thank you doesn’t seem to be sufficient for the memories that will have to last until next Blogger Social.

  7. Yes, words are hard to find to adequately describe the experience. Magical, spontaneous, and spiritual immediately come to mind.

  8. Amen.

    Thank you so very much for all the work you did to make this magic happen.

    Now, please come to Chicago so we can do it again!

    (and yes, BS09 is now a must – let me know how I can help)

    All the best,

    Terry

  9. More than amazing … thanks to you Drew, CK, Lori, Gavin and everyone else who made this Social so damned special. I’m on for ’09 and please put me to work! (And thanks for making my link the shared cookie – someone bring me some mouthwash! 🙂

  10. Doug Meacham says:

    What a wonderfully creative post. Thank you and CK for setting the stage for the most amazing experience I think I have ever had. I’m still walking with my feet ten feet off the ground.

  11. Drew, you and CK did a fabulous job organizing and orchestrating, and we’re all the richer for it. Words of thanks also seem quite inadequate…

  12. Anna Farmery says:

    Superb words young man….On the plane home I was asked why I had been to New York…I tried to explain, I ended up sounding weird and feared deportation at Manchester for being a mad woman…Hmmm no change there then!
    Thank you all – and Steve, CB and Marilyn who gave me a taste of US home life as well.
    Life for me is about collecting memories and this one will have its very own photo frame around my little old British heart 🙂

  13. Mark Goren says:

    Hats off to you, Drew – really, please, take the Captain Stubbing hat off!.

    Seriously, this weekend was one for the classics file. Though it was tough sharing time equally with 80+ people, I really appreciated having the chance to get to you know you on a one-to-one level. Scratch that, I mean face-to-face. We already know each other one-to-one.

    Both you and CK deserve an infinite amount of praise for not only conceiving the idea, but for pulling it off to perfection.

    Thanks for being the community leader that you are.

  14. Yes, I know I really missed out. The price you pay for living at the other end of the world. Let’s do the next one in Hawaii!

  15. The Kaiser says:

    Man, I’m so unhappy about missing this. I’ve heard rumours that 2009 is going to be Europe – and I promise I won’t be missing that!

  16. David — it was so much more. You’re very right. Tough to capture with anything other then emotions themselves!

    Mack — I hope so too. Everyone deserves to revel in that much warmth, laughter and hugs at least once in their life!

    Geoff — I’m so glad you were there and had such a good time. All the work was worth it, believe me!

    John — It’s certainly our goal to make it an annual event. My only regret — I didn’t get as much time to talk with everyone, you included!

    Drew

  17. C.B. — I think that was a very common reaction. We all needed a little time to let it sink it, I think. What I am most grateful about is that everyone seemed to truly have a wonderful time — whether they already knew everyone or were meeting people for the first time!

    Toby — chocolate truffles for the soul. Love that! And you!

    Mario — those are perfect words to describe the weekend! It was so cool to finally meet you!

    Drew

  18. Terry — so glad you could make it. We’ve hung out together in three different states now. Next, I need to meet you out in Colorado one of these days! 🙂

    Roberta — after seeing your face when you realized how many people had touched that cookie, I could not resist the link placement! 🙂

    Doug — it was so wonderful to hang with you and talk Disney! It’s good to find a fellow fanatic!

    Anna — you crack me up, trying to pull off the crusty Brit. Way too late for that! We’re all onto you, you big softie!

    Drew

  19. Mark — agreed, the face to face time was excellent. We’ve got to find more ways to do it more often!

    David — several of your countrymen made the journey. Maybe you guys should have chartered a plane? 🙂 I hear you on the distance. It’s no quick hop over the pond! It would have been very cool to have you there with us.

    Marcus — it would have been great to have you walk into the pub! I’m holding you to that promise for ’09!

    Drew

  20. Great post Drew. Cool way to work in link love. Thank you so much to you and CK for organizing this event.
    I’m with Mark Goren for doing the next one in Hawaii. Let’s make it Kauai and I’ll do one of the meet-ups at my house there.

  21. Linda,

    Hmmm, the ocean, warm weather and a meet up already scheduled! Sounds like a fine plan!

    Drew

  22. Drew — Thank you so much to you and CK for making this dream meet-up an amazing, spectacular reality!!! It was so wonderful to meet everyone. I look forward to continued conversations with everyone and BS09 (yes, the time went way too fast!).

  23. KG,

    It was truly a labor of love. It was so much fun planning and imagining how everyone would react and enjoy the weekend. It was well worth the time and effort!

    Drew

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