Lucky Number 7

Yes, that's right. This is WWP number seven for your humble correspondent and fearless Chapter VP. Chris (Pres) and Mark (past Treasurer) were on the flight with me. This is actually number two for Dallas. On the flight I got to thinking about past WWP's and I'd like to share a little about what I remember from previous WWP's throughout this week.


My first WWP was in Kansas City 2001. This was about one month after the September 11th attacks. It was an eerie flight from San Francisco because there were a total of seven people on the plane. As you can imagine, turnout was very low. The "art cows" exhibited on the city streets and the theme that year "Oz" seemed all the more surreal given all that we had just gone through and what this would mean for facilities around the world. But, what I remember is a West Coast dinner we put together; bolstered by a few straggler chapters we invited from around the western US to join us. There was a pride that we all made it there and defied those trying to frighten us. We were all laughing and eating the best corn fed beef I had ever had. Shortly after dinner, there was an almost sudden quiet across this room of about seventy people. At what seemed to be an awkward moment I heard someone to my right begin to sing "America the Beautiful" in a soft and tender voice. It was Britta from Monster Cable. As her voice grew more brave we all chimed in through smiles and tears. There were no political affiliations, no CNN, no Fox News, no polling. Just a group of people who huddled together for a brief moment of unity and comfort. I'll never forget that moment as long as I live.


Anyhoo, we are here now and I am going to bunk down for the night, but I'll report tomorrow about the day’s activities and another of my "Tales from WWP's Past." I just took this picture outside my hotel room window. I wish all of you in the chapter could be here with us. Because of the great, hardworking people in our industry WWP is truly a magical experience that I wish all of you were here to share. I'll do my best to give you the "virtual experience" this week.


Wayne Whitzell - IFMA Sacramento Chapter, Vice President