Thoughts about the 2012 AZ Walk of Hope

Hi Everyone!

This post is a couple weeks overdue, but I still wanted to let you all know how the Walk of Hope went and share some of my thoughts. I think the day was a success in terms of the number of people there and the money raised. That's a huge deal and I thank everyone who came and supported us in what we are trying to accomplish.

I was very nervous to speak so the morning is a bit of a blur. I was one of three people who spoke and once I got up there I felt great. I really think I'm getting better and better at speaking in public. I never would have thought I'd be saying that. Very strange. Anyway, to be honest, I was a little annoyed while I was up there. As I stood there, sharing some very personal stuff, I looked around and saw people talking. They were having side conversations while I was giving my very short speech! This is one of my pet peeves. I think it is so disrespectful and rude to talk while someone else is speaking. Especially about something so very personal. That was frustrating, but I felt like my speech was good!

Overall, I felt like the event had a very different feel to it than the one in Atlanta last year. I've thought about the reasons for this difference a lot in the past couple of weeks and I'm still not sure I can accurately describe what I mean. The best way I can say it is that Atlanta, Georgia is a very different place than Scottsdale, Arizona. The people last year in Atlanta were so welcoming to me. I really felt like they listened and cared about what I was saying. They talked to me and thanked me for speaking. This year, was very different. I was expecting that strong feeling of community that I felt last year, and I didn't feel it. Now I think there are so many reasons and variables for this difference. I'm not saying that the people who were at the AZ Walk don't care, I just think it's a different culture.

What I've really come to realize is that if it would have been someone else up there speaking, I probably wouldn't have walked up to her and said anything afterward either. I would have done the same exact thing that all those people did. It's an interesting realization and one that has got me thinking that I want to work on being more friendly. I don't smile at people when they walk by. I don't say hi to people I pass. I'm too busy talking to myself (I realize that makes me sound really crazy! Ha), thinking about my own life or looking at my phone, to take a second and greet someone else. The other thing that I've noticed and I think is even worse, is that I will actually go out of my way to avoid people sometimes. People that I actually know! This is slightly disturbing to me and I'm not sure why I do it.

It's all made me wonder if it's true that people in the South really are more friendly and if they are, why? In my very limited experience they are and I want to work on being more like them. It's also made me wonder about our society as a whole. We are all so busy with our lives. I wonder how many other people do what I do and don't even realize it. It's a very interesting observation and something I am going to work on improving within myself.

Here is my speech if you would like to watch it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRCvAC7ZlvY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thanks for reading and Stay tuned!

~Tonya