Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.”
Is it too soon to talk about fall? My kids have been in school for more than two weeks already. But my midwest and west coast friends have several weeks of summer before they buy school supplies and sharpen any pencils. For those who don’t recognize the quote it is Joe Fox emailing Kathleen Kelly in the 1998 film You’ve Got Mail. I have some nostalgia and “good ole days” ideas about life in 1998. But it’s probably because I was a naive 15 year old enjoying the simplicity and difficulty of dial-up internet. Now I have a 16, 14 and 7 year old who I’m trying to give a bit of simplicity to without too much naivete. A counselor once told me great parenting advice I’ve never forgotten: Your kids don’t have to experience something to know about it. I’ve tried to share wisdom and insight with my kids at appropriate seasons that will allow them to engage in the world without the naivete I had at their age.
We have come a long way from the dial up internet days. Everything about our day to day life has dramatically shifted to interacting online. As an organization ICEA didn’t jump quickly into the deep end of the online world. We are still navigating the complexity of social media, finding our niche; who is our audience and what should we “say” and when? It’s a difficult task. There have been many times we as a board have chosen not to engage with topics online because there’s no right thing to say or for lack of a better analogy the room was too loud for a nuanced reply. As an individual professional it can be easier to “say” what you want when you want the way you want and choose to handle the consequences as they come. As an organization please know that we err on the side of caution knowing that we represent more than just ourselves. We also represent an international body of individuals, not just those who live in America. We are grateful to have ICEA certified professionals around the globe and we keep this in mind as we approach the numerous aspects of running the organization.
As ICEA continues to grow and work towards serving our certified body with excellence and representing you well we’d love to know more about you: What do you need as a birth professional? What are you most passionate about in the world of birth work? What is the hardest part of your job? If you were on the board what would you prioritize? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us so we can meet your needs.
We are counting down the days to the conference! Have you registered? Booked your flight and hotel room?
Amanda Afdahl RCPC, ICBD, ICCE, President Elect
