The Event Schlep

So I was poignant and reflective yesterday as I thought about embarking on my Calgary trip. Today I need to devote a few words to what we call "the event schlep." got a phone call this morning from Tanya in our office. Two boxes of our hot pink rethink notebooks (very cute If I do say so myself) that were supposed to be shipped out to Calgary for our rethink romp gift bags didn't make it. Was it possible for me to take in an extra suitcase. I said I would try so they were sent from the office to my house by taxi since I was leaving in an hour. All very rush, rush. They arrived to my house just in time. The boxes were extremely heavy so I had some doubts about getting them on the plane but transferred them into a suitcase. My taxi for the airport arrived shortly after and the driver told me the suitcase was too heavy. I said I'd pay extra and could he please take it to the cab for me. Got to the airport and it was a struggle just loading the suitcase onto a cart. Yikes. And, of course it exceeded the allowable limit. I had the suitcase opened on the scale where you enter the queue to check-in and was trying to transfer some to my other bag. I didn’t want my shoes and outfit for tonight to get crushed so had to squat and rearrange my suitcase in the middle of the airport. The air Canada employee watching me do all this commented on how nice and bright the books were. As I crouched sweating with my back starting to spasm, I flashed back to several such schlepping moments in the early days of rethink. During those early years did we ever schlep!! Our husbands, family and best friends were our pro-bono event set up and crew and the go to people for the odds and ends opportunities you can't say no to like hunching over a too low table and doing gift wrapping at a remote mall during the holiday rush for a few small donations. Those were the days! Anyways, events means schlepping but we love our events. My tiny taste this morning has my heart going out to Lindsay, Tasha and our Calgary committee. While I am on my plane today reading the new bizarre with Tina fey on the cover (love her so had to buy it!) I can only imagine how their backs and feet are hurting and the stress of getting everything set up in time has everyone a bit edgy. But, it is like childbirth...If the event goes well, you ride all the buzz and seem to forget all the labour and sweat that goes into it. You are giddy with success and quickly shift from "never ever again are we using a raw space" to "that was amazing, next year we should..."

Oh events....gotta love'em!  Gotta get on my plane!

P.S.
Got the email from air canada yesterday to do advanced check-in on-line but was too busy to deal. Now sitting in middle seat on very full flight. Will not ignore such emails in the future!

MJ DeCoteau, Executive Director of Rethink Breast Cancer