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Non-tribal Meetings

I'm attending two conferences this month. The one I went to last week was a regional association that I've been part of for 35 years. I don't know everyone but it definitely feels like an extended family to me and I greatly look forward to the meetings. The first one after COVID was truly joyous, not just for me but for many other senior members and so the joy was shared and magnified.

I am currently attending a conference on using technology in teaching mathematics. I attend every four or five years to keep up with the latest, but it doesn't move so quickly that I need to attend every year. Usually other department members attend and we grab a meal together but it is far less tribal. This time no one else from my department is here and I may go the entire conference without seeing someone I know well enough to say hi.

It's a good conference and it serves its purpose but the feel is very different. It's good for me to articulate what I value from last week's conference; at this point I hope to continue attending after retirement, health and funding permitting.

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