Naomi Bulger: messages in bottles
Have you ever met your hero? 04/01/2012
Have you ever met your hero? The closest I ever came was sipping a Bloody Mary in Bar Hemingway at The Ritz, Paris, thinking, "Ernest Hemingway probably sat right here. He looked out of that window onto that almost-unchanged view." If only time could have compressed, turned back in on itself, or simply rolled backward Midnight in Paris-style, I would have been sharing the same space, breathing the same air, as my greatest literary hero. What would I have said to him? What would he have said to me? Anything at all? Would it have been a glorious moment to treasure forever, or a bitter disappointment?  My room at The Ritz, Paris. O.M.G. and Oh La La. On Friday I was privileged to be part of DPCON12, a massive blogger conference in Melbourne hosted by Digital Parents. But the program wasn't the least bit limited to parents: we covered topics from using blogs for social good (particularly by partnering with not-for-profit organisations) to the process of going from blog to book (with folks on the panel who had done just that), and workshops on how to use your blog to generate other paid writing work.     For me, this conference was also an amazing opportunity to meet new bloggers and, through them, to hear new voices. I haven't been part of the Digital Parents community, so it was all very new to me: they are a cohesive, self-supporting unit bonded through familiar experiences (and regular reading), with their own language and subtle morays and behavioural expectations. It could have been intimidating and by the eve of the conference, I confess I was feeling the fear. However, the reality was that I was warmly accepted into this world, and my relatively different life experiences and blogging style did not stop this lovely group from making me feel part of their family.    What really got me thinking was when a certain speaker would be called to the stage, or a certain blogger would stand up to ask a question, and the room would erupt with screams and cheers and applause. Not having been part of this community, I rarely knew the one speaker or blogger from another. But almost everyone else seemed to, this close-knit family. And I realised that, for many people at this conference, they were meeting their heroes. Bloggers they had admired and sometimes even interacted with online were here in the flesh (or "IRL," an acronym that I learned stood for "in real life," but you probably knew that already). And I thought, what if some of the big bloggers I'd known and admired in the past year had stood up there? People whose words I'd read and lives I'd watched through Internet windows, hearts that had opened to me, the anonymous stranger: how would I have felt if they then materialised, "IRL," as part of a panel? What if they had been there to chat with me later over cake and tea? I'm pretty sure I'd have been cheering like the room was on Friday, for people I didn't know. After all, it'd be a little bit like meeting my own heroes. I guess that's the crossover that blogging, blogger conferences and meet-ups offer: we are no longer just reading words, as we would in a book. On a blog, we are reading words, glimpsing lives, being invited into hearts... yet all the while we remain strangers. But a blogging conference - something entirely new to me until Friday - means stepping over what remains of the "stranger" boundary and into "friend" or, in some cases, "family." It's pretty special.      Want to receive regular "messages in bottles" from me? Subscribe using one of the links in the right hand column, or follow my blog with Bloglovin. Comments04/01/2012 03:38
It was so exciting to meet the people I've been talking to for the last year. They are even more awesome than I thought. :) Naomi Bulger 04/01/2012 03:52
Jess that's exactly what I picked up, the sense of instant friendship. I hope to be there next year and by then I'll feel like I know you all, too. I thought about this just today... If I met Brad Pitt IRL I'd kinda be a bit underwhelmed I think, but meeting Diminishing Lucy (who's one of my favourites) had me speaking like a madwoman and gushing unbelievably... It all depends on paradigm huh? Naomi Bulger 04/01/2012 05:52
He he that's so cute. And it really did strike me, seeing all of you meet your heroes like that. Quite lovely. AND I'm so glad I met you Kate! 04/01/2012 05:52
Wow, what a lovely perspective you have so beautifully written about, Naomi! (And wow, I didn't expect to be featured in so many photos! - ahem, even my fingers and my 8 year old monolith of a phone!). Okay, so back to your post... great photos! Your camera is amazing! (and so are you). And I wish we had more time to talk about this the other day - because I did have heroes there and perhaps I didn't convey how cool that was for me. I did realise it was different for you and was hoping that you still would get so much out of it. Would love to debrief with you more dear friend. x Naomi Bulger 04/01/2012 05:54
We will definitely debrief. And as I hope you can tell from the blog post, it meant so much to me seeing all of you meet your heroes. The excitement and admiration and respect and joy in the room was palpable. It taught me a lot I had never realised about the blogger community. 04/01/2012 06:21
Hi Naomi, I am not sure if we met?? I was hanging out at the registration table for most of the delegates entering but don't recall... I love this post. You have beautifully captured a perspective that I identify with. I'm so glad you were made to feel welcome. Hope to meet you next year! Naomi Bulger 04/01/2012 06:28
Thanks Kirrily, I recognise your face but I don't think we ever got to chat in person. (I was one of the pregnant posse). Thanks for being part of the smiling, overall welcome I really did enjoy, and I hope to see you next year too! 04/01/2012 06:33
What a gorgeous way of writing about DPCON12, I don't think we spoke, It's a little hard when there are so many new names and faces. Naomi Bulger 04/01/2012 06:54
Thanks Nathalie, no we didn't get to speak although I certainly appreciated your perspectives on the panel in the afternoon. Definitely next year :-) 04/01/2012 06:35
It's a pretty unique bunch of women. There's few other blogging niches where everyone is so supportive of each other. We're incredibly lucky! x Naomi Bulger 04/01/2012 06:50
Something I have been very happy to learn this weekend! 04/01/2012 06:50
How lucky was I to be on a table with you guys?! Was SUCH a lovely day as a result. Naomi Bulger 04/01/2012 06:52
Hooray Kelly I look forward to it! 04/01/2012 20:47
I love connecting with people online, but it's so much fun to connect with new people in person too. I want to hear more about this conference. I'm curious to know how the Australian blogging world (and this conference) is different from the one I know here. Naomi Bulger 04/02/2012 02:53
Brandi I'd love to chat with you about this. I have so much to learn about the blogging communities all over the world! Naomi Bulger 04/02/2012 02:55
Oh, Brenda, thanks so much! And thank YOU for organising such a fabulous conference. I know exactly what you mean! I met some Sydney bloggers this weekend (post still to come) and it meant so much. I didn't really know any of them beforehand (except for on Twitter) and I feel like I've made some new friends instantly. Naomi Bulger 04/02/2012 02:56
Katherine I would have SO loved to see you there!!! Looking forward to your post about your meet-up. We need to do more of these in Australia, don't you think? 04/03/2012 01:52
A great write up! I am glad you enjoyed the conference so much, Naomi. I would have loved to have been there. It would be lovely to meet you - and Karen and Deb too. Somehow, I feel like I'd get along with the three of you so well! Naomi Bulger 04/03/2012 17:08
Oh Gill, it would have been amazing if you were there too. One day, one day... 04/03/2012 05:32
This year was my second year attending and I must say that as much as I loved it last year, I loved it this year a million times more. I think you will feel the same next year. Beautiful photos - just stunning! Naomi Bulger 04/03/2012 17:14
Thanks Zoey, and that's what I suspected. I can't wait! (Also, I really loved your blog reading at the dinner). Mrs Woog 04/06/2012 17:29
Catching up on my reading and your fab post just took me back to the fab weekend that was dpcon. Xx Leave a Reply | 
NAOMI BULGER
:: author & journalist :: 
Oh good you're hereI have so much to share! This blog is my well-worn scrapbook, bulging
with ticket stubs from far-off places, photographs of the lovely and the
absurd, letters from strangers, gifts in the mail, fables and dreams,
cupcake-addictions, sweet tunes, and treasures uncovered.
If all this leaves you wanting more, take a look at my novella Airmail. Regular reads
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