Okay, we've all established that YK was a great, motivational, overwhelmingly positive experience, but how do we translate that feeling back into the real world? Hmmmm? If only there was a diary about what to do next? (insert entering dreamlike state special effect sound of your choice here)
When I was working on YK, I would explain it as being exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I knew that once we got to the convention and people started arriving that the excitement would help carry us through and would be the pay back for all the late hours spent planning. I was right. Operating on 4 hours of sleep a night was much easier knowing that the time and effort would be appreciated, and it was. That positive glow is still being reflected in many diaries, (check out the great diary by Shermaneq here
http://www.dailykos.com/...). Now it's over and the committee is working on YK 07, (and yes, we are working on it already. I had people sending emails to volunteer for next year before I had even unpacked my bag from this year), we have started to lose some of that glow as we settle into the mundane task of sorting out details. I don't want to keep rehashing the event as if it was a cure for cancer, but I also don't want to waste the momentum that we generated at the convention.
I know what you're saying. "Shanna, I swear that body jumped under the wheel of my tire and was dead before I got here".....oops, sorry, wrong thought stream. Let's try this one, "Shanna, I want to do something but I don't know how to start? Are there others I could work with?" Yes, Virginia there is a place with Dorothy over the rainbow. I refer to a diary posted by Nelsons specifically addressing the Post-Convention Action Items http://www.dailykos.com/.... And then there is the diary from LinkTV who was such a great resource for us and did some truly great work documenting the convention, (and they were a pleasure to work with). They want to put together a documentary about YearlyKos and they are asking for our help. Check them out http://www.dailykos.com/.... And keep posting your pictures from YearlyKos. Nothing brings me back to the moment like browsing through some of the faces I met, and didn't get to meet. Those pictures reinforce that we are a community working together. Let's keep that up.
And if I may take a moment for a shameless plug, we are taking pre-orders for "UnConventional:YearlyKos: Citizens, Focus and Action" http://www.dailykos.com/.... This will be a phenomenal book documenting the watershed event that was YearlyKos 2006. Some of the best photographers donated their time to make this book happen and our own Hunter is contributing his commentary among others. "UnConventional", as well as "Kosmos: You Are Here" http://www.dailykos.com/... and the ever popular "Trollhouse Cookbook" http://www.dailykos.com/... were done as fundraisers that made YearlyKos happen. We would like to have these books published in hard copy form but that costs money. We are willing to spend the money if we know we have your support and are willing to buy them. I am saving my returnable bottles toward at least 3 copies of each, (just a suggestion, they pay for blood now). Visit the YearlyKos website at http://www.yearlykos.org/ where we are chocked full of good links to buy a T-Shirt through Goodstorm, or purchase books through Powell's Book Store or check out the books I listed above and keep updated on the site selection for YK07. And did I mention Ava? I guarantee a fun time will be had by all.