Can I be Two Places at Once? Unfortunately, No.

About three weeks ago, I realized two parts of my life would be in conflict this weekend. Besides being an anti-poverty activist I’m also a scuba diver. The diving club I dive with, AquaTutus, several months ago planned a camping/diving trip to California’s Salt Point State Park  for this weekend. While I was very much looking forward to the camping trip, I’d already made reservations and commitments to attend the 2011 RESULTS International Conference. So while I longed to be at both places, I gave up on the camping trip in favor of the conference.

Yesterday I flew from San Francisco to Washington, DC to attend the conference. Because of problems on the United flights, I arrived about four hours later than planned. Luckily, I learned years ago it was better to arrive the day before a conference begins than arrive on the morning the conference starts. The cost of the extra night at the conference hotel is less than the emotional cost and frustration of arriving several hours after the conference begins, due to logistical challenges and delays. So, last night I got a decent night’s sleep before the conference and was able to attend all of the conference sessions.

So far, the conference has been good and intense. Here’s a photo of RESULTS volunteers attending a presentation on the inequality of girls attending primary school around the world. Right now, some 72 million school children under the age of 15 are not attending school and most of those children are girls. The lack of universal education puts all of them, but especially the girls, at a severe disadvantage in life. Not knowing how to read or do arithmetic, they are unable to find more than menial jobs as unskilled laborers and their lack of education makes it easy for others to take advantage of them.

This afternoon, the attending RESULTS volunteers were celebrated for achieving various RESULTS activist milestonees. Volunteers were asked to stand and be applauded if they had ever gotten a letter to the editor published; an op-ed published; an editorial published; held a meeting for others to learn about RESULTS; had met with one of the aides of their senators or congressperson, had met face-to-face with one of their senators or congressperson, or had held a fundraising event for RESULTS. I ended up standing through the whole celebration because I’d done all the milestones mentioned. While there are a few milestones I’ve not yet accomplished (notable among them, meeting with the editorial staff of my local paper), I realized just how many achievements I’d accomplished over the years that I’ve volunteered with RESULTS.

I think that speaks a lot about the effectiveness of RESULTS in achieving its second goal of reconnecting people with their political power. Twenty years ago I wouldn’t have thought I would ever meet directly with my congressman, or have caused the staff of the local newspaper to write an editorial supporting a foreign aid program, or planned and held a fundraising event. Me, an aloof, introverted, socially awkward fellow had done those things because RESULTS volunteers and staff members helped me expand what I was and am capable of.  Sometimes, I amaze myself. And as I think about, sometimes RESULTS amazes me.