Best standing ovation I ever saw given, and for a kind of performance few ever appreciate

[DFW]

I just finished my Renaissance Weekend gathering in Charleston, SC. It's a long story and all off the record, so
I can't go into details, but on the morning of Jan. 1, the whole group, including members of Congress, Nobel Prize
winners, famous inventors, authors, TV writers, women's movement icons, astronauts, members of the press, etc. etc.,
(and a few token mortals like me and my family) stands up. The whole lower echelon staff of the hotel, waiters,
dishwashers, cooks, the whole group comes out and is given a minute-long standing ovation by all these leaders and
big brains for having served them for the last 5 days.

My daughters have worked as servers for hotshot occasions many times during their college careers to get some pocket
money, and about the most they ever get is a mumbled "thanks, kid." The staff of the hotel waves back at us and just
beams. These people have (usually) thankless, and surely very poorly paid jobs. But this one group I belong to, at
least, takes the time to show them that what they do is NOT taken for granted. Just one tiny moment of esteem, but
I'll bet it's something not too many people in their position get, EVER. I have bad knees, but this is one time I'm
happy to remain standing for as long as the rest of the crowd does. The reaction of the hotel staff is worth every
second of it.

[Richardo]

Nice.

Your group is to be commended :applause:

[DFW]

4. If you want to know more about the group:

www.renaissanceweekend.org

Founded by Linda and Phil Lader, lifelong Democrats. They still head it up. Bill Clinton met half his future cabinet here.

[babylonsister]

1. That is lovely. It's nice to acknowledge people who make others' lives

easier, and in such a grand setting (sounds like). Thanks for sharing.

[omega minimo]

2. Thank you for sharing that touching story.

:toast:

[Fridays Child]

3. k&r

[dkf]

5. Excellence should be rewarded. Good for them.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

6. What's out there like Renaissance Weekends for us normal schlubs?

[DFW]

7. Depends on your travel schedule I guess

How about DU? I'm a member of both.

[Berry Cool]

8. Working in a hotel must be such a thankless task.

It's one of so many jobs in the world in which usually the only time anyone notices and pays attention to your work is when it's NOT done right. Otherwise it's taken for granted.

Kudos to this group for showing appreciation for how its needs were accommodated to make for an enjoyable event.

[DFW]

9. You're probably spot on.

If you're washing dishes in the back, no one ever knows you're alive out in the dining room unless
they see a stain on their plate, and then they complain. Being applauded by Supreme Court Justices
and members of Congress has to be a highlight of what must otherwise be one dreary job.

[progressoid]

10. Nice. Very nice.

I do contract work with hotels and often see how many are never appreciated for their hard work (and at a low wage).

[DFW]

13. My daughter's boyfriend has done that work, too

He has studied hotel management, and has made beds and washed dishes for slave wages, and never once
received the slightest nod from a guest, much less someone who put on a big event.

[bertman]

11. Great idea. Now if some of those members of Congress, Nobel Prize winners, famous inventors,

authors, TV writers, women's movement icons, astronauts, members of the press, etc. etc. would work hard to make the plight of these hard-working Americans and immigrants better, that would be the crowning glory.

I'm wondering if your group checks to see which hotel group is the most socially aware and environmentally aware before they book there. I know that some pride themselves on being greener than others, but I don't know much about the labor record of them.

Please don't take this as a downer post, because this is a great story and says good things about the folks in the group. Thanks for posting, DFW.

[DFW]

12. Now that you bring that up

At the risk of breaking the rules of never disclosing what goes on there, I will let on that one
of the speakers at that farewell breakfast got up and held up her name tag and said it was time
to stop wearing them in plastic holders.

There is only one hotel in Charleston, SC, where the people who organize this event live, that is
big enough to accommodate such a group, so there is not much of a choice as to venues.

About those name tags--everyone is required to wear them, no matter HOW important you may be. Only
one person is allowed to have a title, and the honor of that great exception was granted to Dr. Ruth.
EVERYONE else gets their titles stripped from their names, and I mean EVERYONE:

[progressoid]

14. so....

What's it cost to attend one of these events?

[DFW]

15. It's sort of like college tuition

Except that you don't apply. People in it propose other people, and they get approved (or not) by the
direction. If you're a millionaire who has done nothing constructive or culturally enriching you could
offer to pay double and still not get asked to participate (I personally know one who was rejected).
On the other hand, if you're a social activist or researcher who is penniless, but has really accomplished
something useful, they'll consider picking up the tab. I.e. they would comp Gandhi 100%, but Paris Hilton
would probably not be asked, even if she offered to comp everyone else. Why they thought I was interesting
enough to be accepted, I still haven't figured out (for all I know, it was a clerical error), but I'm very glad they did.

Other than that, I will respect the wishes of the organizers and not go into details, other than to say that
it does not mean that I have to forego food for a month to attend. The airfare is the killer for me (I
have to fly in from Düsseldorf). But I wouldn't miss it for the world.

[progressoid]

16. Congrats for the invitiation.

Sounds like it was a great experience.

[DFW]

17. I sorta fell into it.

The treasurer of the DNC is also a big anti-smoking advocate, and he got an author friend of mine in, and my author
friend proposed me. It must have been a slow day that day, seeing as how they invited me despite me not being awarded
any Nobel Prizes that I'm aware of, nor having written any best-selling books, nor been treasurer of the DNC, or anything
else that would warrant me being asked to join such company, but it's mind candy from start to finish, and I'm not
complaining.

[mascarax]

18. Just admit it!

It was your DU membership that got ya in, right? :-)

Sounds interesting. But why all the secrecy? Shouldn't any good ideas be shared by attendees to others?

[DFW]

20. The chronology is an obstacle there

I found out about DU about 5 years after I got into Renaissance (sorry about that, please don't deactivate me)

The secrecy is not to stifle good ideas. Good ideas always get promoted outside.

The off-the-record status is to protect to politically active people who attend from ever having to suffer the
effects of the gotcha brand of journalism (spelled F-O-X: although no Fox people attend, some Republicans do).
Nobody in the world cares one whit what I say, but if Howard Dean says something particularly strong, or if
Bill Clinton wants to give off an opinion that has the potential to ruffle some friendly feathers, or if someone
in Congress has a stronger opinion on something like health care than they would like known (so as not to destroy
their re-election chances if they are, say, a Democrat from a red state or district), they can let their hair down
at Renaissance, and not fear it being blasted all over CNN or Fox. Violate the rule grossly and deliberately, and
you're out. Good ideas, if they are REALLY good, get implemented, or at least promoted, sooner or later. Bill Clinton
met half of his cabinet to be there. The Freedom Toast got its start there. All sorts of stuff like that. Some lasting
friendships got started there, too. About ten years ago, I met a guy I had never heard of that was thinking of running
for president. He and I talked, and I was very impressed. We got to be friends, played at guitar jams (he is a Leo
Kottke fan, as am I), and keep in close touch. His name, Howard Dean, is now known by most everyone here, but I'll bet
that when DU started, no one on DU outside of Vermont had ever heard of him. I am also friends with a guy with whom I
have the most agitated discussions you can imagine. Politically, he is absolutely the Prince of Darkness, and he thinks
the same of me. We agree on just about nothing, but are true friends. Go figure.

[mascarax]

22. Thanks for the response - glad good ideas get shared!

I understand off the record...glad good ideas get promoted though.

I remember your Howard Dean posts now! I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I have more respect for him today than I did when he was running. I first paid attention to him on C-SPAN; he was in some barn (I think) in Iowa. A guy stood up and started whining about how we all need to support Dubya and how we're all "neighbors", and Howard looked at him and said, "George Bush is not my neighbor." We cheered!

I hope he keeps fighting and speaking up.

Very cool story on Justice Breyer below...I recently bought his interpretation of the Constitution. I also bought a pocket Constitution so I can whip it out if needed ("they're trampling on our Constitution? REALLY?! Which part? Wait, I've got it right here - show me!"). Only had one opportunity so far, but it was mighty effective. :-)

[DFW]

23. And I'll bet that when you quote from the Constitution...

You do NOT quote from the Declaration of Independence by mistake.

(If you did, you could be the Republican Minority leader in the House--not that anyone would want to be that these days).

Justice Breyer is one very cool guy indeed. When you meet him (I did for the first time back in 1995), he just extends
his hand and says, "Steve Breyer," as if he never expected you to address him as anything else.

[mascarax]

24. Ha! Not yet, but it's apparently very confusing...

Hard to keep all that stuff straight. I mean, weren't they both written right around the time dinosaurs roamed the earth?

And wasn't Boehner even waving around his pocket copy and STILL got it wrong?!

[DFW]

25. Yes, well you know how Republicans like to wave things around

Joe McCarthy and his "list of Communists in the State Departent"

Apparently some little books contains both the Declaration and the Constitution. For Republicans, that is close enough.
After all, they were only written 11 years apart.

[shireen]

19. wonderful.

i'm glad you got to attend and soak in all that energy, intellect and creativity.

i wish you could tell us more but understand why you can't ... but still, it's so nice to hear those harmless tidbits. Thanks for posting.
:hi:

[DFW]

21. It's difficult to decribe without getting into forbidden territory

If you go to their website, the goals they describe are pretty much accurately laid out.

At first, you get a little overwhelmed at the company you are in, but after a while, you sit next to them
at dinner, talk to them in the halls a little, get to ask them questions in panel close up, and whaddya know?
They are people, too. You accurately described it: energy, intellect, and creativity. You can get exhausted
without moving a muscle. There is only one requirement: PARTICIPATE! You do not get invited to sit there and
listen.

They have farewell speeches on the morning of Jan. 1, and one year I was invited to give one on mortality after
I had a very close near-miss. Afterward, a guy gave me a nod, and said, "good speech!" I said, "thanks," and then
grasped who it was. I had just gotten a compliment from Justice Breyer of the Supreme Court! I smiled in awe, and
again said "THANKS!!"

Like I said, mind candy.