|
Convention Time The other day I was watching TV and one of the reporters did a story about a convention held recently for endodontists — this elite sub specialty in the dental profession that includes, but is not limited to, that all time favorite ROOT CANAL. You’ve all heard the saying, "Golly, gee, I would rather have root canal than blah, blah, blah." Can you just imagine what fun it must be to go to one of these conventions? A laugh a minute — with a little help from a whiff of nitrous oxide, of course. Anyway, I started to think about conventions. I’ve certainly attended my share of them. The Society of Professional Journalists holds an annual regional convention as well as a national convention. Here’s where you get to meet journalists from around the country and around the world. It’s fun to meet and greet journalists from the major dailies, weeklies, magazines, trade publications, TV, radio, etc. We attend meetings and seminars where we can sympathize and empathize on common problems and opportunities. We also talk a lot about the first amendment, the free press, and ethics. First Amendment issues, cameras in the court, protections of our sources are always hot topics. As to the "free" press, it’s really not so free, except those reporters who feel they work "free" for the most part. And, "journalist’s ethics" is not an oxymoron. Contrary to common belief, most journalists are ethical. Conventions give one an opportunity to visit places one wouldn’t ordinarily spend a vacation. Why would anyone go to New Brunswick, New Jersey? Not that New Brunswick is a nice city, but let’s face it, unless you had relatives to visit, it would not be on David Letterman’s ten top vacation spots of the world — nay, the country — nay, the east coast. I went to one convention in Louisville (pronounced Loovill), Kentucky. It, too, was a nice place to visit, but not on my return visit list. Most convention cities, sans a few here, and there, are cities and towns one wouldn’t normally visit unless one had a very good reason -- a wedding, funeral, graduation. Oh sure, if you’re lucky, you can go to Hawaii, the Bahamas, and Europe. Unfortunately, the conventions I’ve attended were held in Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Florida & New York. I started thinking about conventions and did an internet search. The computer came up with 20,001 documents. Some of the more notable ones include Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Set, Burbank X-Files Convention, Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, The Recognition And Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards Convention, and some personal favorites of mine — Leisure Suit Convention and the Convention on Genocide. Then there are those conventions who are so well known, they only use initials -- RMAA, IPA, JPSA,NSTA, NAAAP, IAJRC, UAHC, ICPOA, VAVRS, and CSEG conventions. My point is this. Don’t know where to go for your vacation this year? Want to try something new and exciting? Just run your fingers through the convention internet. Find out when and where your favorite animal, vegetable, mineral, personality, subject, hobby, or whatever holds their convention and — go for it. Hey, you just might find out more than you ever wanted to know about stuff — and get to spend a few days in Sheboygan - - and who knows, you just may have a legitimate tax deduction.
|