It's About The People, People, Not The Wine

By Liza Sperling

I am writing this on the ride home from Time4Wine. To those of you who
made it to Time4wine, YOU made the weekend. It was a weekend of wine,
food and, yes, debauchery --- but not without the intellectual comfort
of great conversations about social media, technology and all the
gadgetry that makes us tick.

Geeks and wine...why? Don't we spend enough hours together at
conferences, tweetups, et al? Yes, but much of that time is also spent
multitasking, focusing on work or developing new business
relationships. It's not 'our' time and is compromised by professional
distractions and obligations.

Indeed we work together, but we also play together, and those who
could have asked their employers to foot the bill decided to go on
their own dime to ensure that the direction of relationships were
untangled by business objectives. No doubt, we developed valuable
ties, that process never ends, but without name tags, sponsors or
VIP's, conversations began over flights of wine and plates of cheese.
Even geeks bond by breaking bread, and nothing much has really changed
about human nature.

During the wine blending session at Alpha Omega Winery, we learned to
choose a metaphor for wine, relate it to something you already know,
and suddenly wine is less complex. Nothing new, right? Consider
Time4wine our time on the golf course, without the rigidity of
uniforms or the old boys' club.

Take a look at the Twitter and Facebook activity around Time4wine, and
you'll notice there were no keynotes or super stars, and I like it that
way. Even Gordan Getty and Mayor Gavin Newsom made unplanned
appearances, but they didn't steal the spotlight for long. It's about
the people, people, not the wine.

 

How Do You Define Your Desire To Be Useful?

Danielle Laporte posted this quote today, and it was too good to keep to myself.  I think Henri Nouwen was on to something. He has a clear mission and defines his own desire to be useful, but he is wise enough to question it. 

The Desire To Be Useful

"More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn't be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them." 
- Henri Nouwen, Catholic Priest

How do you define your desire to be useful? Does it change with age or wisdom?  I don't think anyone knows with 100% certainty how to answer these questions, but isn't it important to ask them?