His Friends Are More Than Fond of Robin

There are many exciting new voices. You never know whom you will meet. My life was forever changed by a guy named Robin. He believed in me, gave me focus and a sense of purpose in a brief window. The ripple effect is felt to this day and forever more.

Leading me to wonder "What if I met a female Robin?" There was a Robin Marie. Any excuse to refer to Nantucket Sleighride is good. The Robin in question was not the woman who changed everything.

Meeting her when every woman was married or might as well be- relationships are not graded pass/fail. I was aware of Robin before we met face to face. The second No Longer Virtual was not as good as the first.

Lightning strikes once and there were many wonderful people attending for the first time. And a couple who made me wonder. The beauty of Robin- look at her. Besides that; the beauty of Robin is she is not going to drink the Kool Aid. Neither am I and we were both alienated by certain guests.

Not everyone at the conference is there to build deeper relationships. That was the crux of this conference and this year it was virtually absent. Never mind: Robin was a guest three straight years and we were lucky to have her.

Not that I had her. Access and conversations are better. The art of communication is more valuable than a college degree. Carry an enriching conversation and you will never get old.

She wasn't at the conferences where I noticed "Long term relationships." Doesn't mean there was not a trajectory and discussions about working life and music. She is a poet.

There is not nearly enough poetry on this site. I tried writing poetry on this site once. Not exactly a noble failure. It fell under the rug. Like almost everything I do on social media?

Don't answer that. Robin returned for the next conference. She lives in Atlanta and this was held in Buckhead. One of the less desirable women- I did not see this and believe it- was getting her goat. She acted superior to Robin and would not let her get a word in edgewise.

This happened in a small session. On the third day there are smaller sessions where groups visit a facilitator and discuss a specific topic. The most vociferous one was in the middle of the room; inspiring the "Five more minutes, Kevin" reference in my Stefon article.

My session was decent. It was the most recent time I saw Chris Spurvey which is always a pleasure. Many people keep their accounts open and use LinkedIn a lot less.

In another part of the room; Robin was alienated by a tall know-it-all. Or was it a ne'er-do-el? Double hyphenated words aside- she was ready to call a cab and pull out of the conference.

She stayed. The day before I was alienated by various people and took a long walk. Had I changed my flight and gone home early some of the best relationships would have passed me by. Play all four quarters. Some are not on the same page.

Some aren't in the same book and others are illiterate. Reading is fundamental and the first person I saw at the next conference was Robin. Some beautiful relationships can begin in a bar.

There were many topics of discussion as certain basketball players tested positive for the coronavirus which shut down the sports world. We all remember where we were. This conference was not only an extension of our relationship as she explained the Southern phrase "Bless your heart".

Some things sound complimentary and- never mind. One guest could only stay for the first day. She was at the bar as well the night before. The relationship between Shelley Brown and Robin is why we go back every year. It's a contest everyone wins.

I have had some good relationships. So far I have not had the "Where have you been all my life?" that Robin and Shelley have. Melissa Hughes and Kimberly Davis have it as well.

It's not like a three star relationship or a four star relationship is not welcome. Acknowledge the five star relationships. I have read some of their exchanges on social media. Shelly calls her "Bobin". Probably from "When the red red Robin goes bob bob bobbing along."

Bringing me to extensive musical knowledge. Robin appreciates my musical references. Her catalog is deep. She paid tribute to Christine McVie. Not with Fleetwood Mac songs which are wonderful. No, she shared Chicken Shack songs.

Add that to the queue. I learned about the bad apples who made her feel less than wonderful. She is more than wonderful. I see it, Shelley sees it- if someone is going to treat her poorly; you had better not do it in my presence.

Don't bring hatred to a love fest. It has been fantastic with Robin. I don't think I ever wrote about her. Looking back on articles I should collect into a book there was no mention of her except a brief acknowledgement in Hot Chicks and Kevin: The Next Generation.

We didn't sit together. That wasn't by design and I was not "Reserving" the seat for anyone. Heck, there were at least six seats at a table. Anyone was welcome to sit with me.

Many had to cancel at the last minute. Stupid pandemic. It worked out well. Shelley used one of her presentations she gave to others to have one of the more enriching sessions. The fourteen people who showed up had the chance to experience a facsimile of what we had the first time.

Robin, Hannah and Megan attended every year except the first. Now they know what they missed and they would take it to their own level. It is expensive to attend this conference. Worthwhile; still expensive.

It beats a Taylor Swift concert with unnecessary markups any time. Experiences are preferable to convenience fees. I have a "superstition" where I don't connect with guests to the latest conference.

If they reach out to me, of course I connect. That is how Rich Gassen moved to the A list. I would rather be surprised, nicely surprised, by the guests. It also leads to disappointment when someone does not make it for any reason.

Shelley moved to Chicago where she is from so I expected to see her this year. If she were there Robin probably would have flown ATL-ORD. Shelley moves more than Kevin Durant and she was in another city. Subsequently, Robin was absent this year.

I carry a torch for many. I hold out hope that Sandeep will return since she was so wonderful at the first conference. Maybe next year. If Atlanta is the site of next year's conference- I still have a Breeze card. Hopefully that will be where Donna Brewster finally makes it to a conference.

And Robin. I can yell out names and cities. Sarah has to do the legwork and fill out the contracts. The best moments remain after alienation falls away. There is no reason to dwell on the ones who were less than wonderful. Reflect on the ones who manifest divinity.