reflections on NextGen: Canada

as some of you know, i was accepted as a participant in NextGen: Canada, a professional development workshop or "learning collaboration" opportunity offered in partnership by the alberta museums association, the getty leadership institute at claremont graduate university and the university of alberta museums (and which is based on GLI at CGU's internationally respected Museum Leaders: The Next Generation program. it was an honour to be accepted, and it was a pleasure to meet the other 18 participants, who came from all over the country, and to represent the next generation of canadian museum leaders.

over the next few days and weeks, i hope to be able to capture some of my thoughts and responses (and plans) about this experience and what particularly imapcted me personally and professionally. it was an interesting, enlightening and curious experience, and one that i shall not soon forget. it provided me with some great tools, but also helped to clarify and stir other hopes and dreams. it was timely in that it intersected and parallelled other activities and intentions in my life, and it will be interesting to see how these ideas about, and tools for, leadership play out in other areas of my life...

let me hear your voice

let me hear your voice

hmm. there it is again.

that push. pressure of thought,

dream, action meeting.

or not meeting. or meeting poorly.

like a half-heard conversation,

missing some important information,

like a kiss not quite planted squarely.

or surely, or fully.

and that’s what it is –

not full. can’t taste this

thing that should be full of life,

of passion, of desire.

fire of hunger, delight, fear

of falling that becomes flight.

hmm. the hum of dream & expectation

humming ‘neath the skin,

drum beat strain & the eternal song

of yes, here it is, this way, this way,

come closer, draw nearer,

let me feel your breath

as you whisper & murmur

& voice the words curled around your spine,

your fingers unfurled,

your heart the world.