We just finished Festival 36.
36!
That’s a lot of years. There is time for 2 generations of people to become involved, 3 if you include me as the founder back in the 1970s.
Reviewing feedback from Festival 36, I was a bit puzzled at first.
“What did you like most about Festival 36? What was most meaningful to you about Festival 36?”
A lot of people commented they found the camaraderie to be the best part. They got to spend time with seriously high ideal people who celebrated their triumphs and commiserated with their setbacks. It felt good to once again share time with dear friends of the heart, people you could be real around.
A lot of people mentioned the closing meditation as the best part. A time to reaffirm and reset the joy of being a part of something so grand and helpful as To-Shin Do.
A surprising number of people enjoyed the new Q & A that was broadcast over Facebook. They cited gaining information that they had never heard before in all their years of involvement.
(To see this event, go to https://www.facebook.com/AnShuStephenKHayes/ and scroll down until you get to the panel of 6 sitting on stage in chairs.)
Lots of people commented that the fire ceremony was most meaningful. “That alone would have made the entire trip worth it,” stated one seasoned veteran of many festivals.
A few even complimented the food. The Holiday Inn had an exceptional kitchen.
So how come nobody mentioned the great training opportunity that 2 or 3 days of Festival presented? Lots of opportunity to learn new things and get clearer insights on old things?
I had to really think about that one.
What I came up with is that people expect there to be spectacular training experiences. That’s a given. Get the best of the best all together in a ballroom and that is what you get — spectacular learning opportunities. So many people commented that they were on brain overload half-way through Saturday. They expected to be inspired and moved, so that did not stand out. What stood out were the unexpected “extras” that no other martial art seems remotely able to capture. That is what makes Festival a unique event in the minds of attendees.
If you’ve never been to Festival, please make a point of joining us next year on October 6-8, 2017 in Dayton, Ohio. Admit to and throw away the familiar excuses of time and money that we are not supposed to argue with. You’ll spend money as you always do and budget time as is your habit. Those excuses don’t count, and you know it. Take a chance and be there! Make a commitment to join us and see for yourself what is so indescribable about Festival.
No comments yet.