#ignitewaterloo

Phone: 519-279-4627

Some have called it a rite of passage in the dynamic social scene that is developing in Kitchener Waterloo right now.  There is a growing, dedicated pack of passionate community builders coming together for good times and shared development.  A number of names come to mind as catalysts for this spectacular community growth. Of those catalysts I can't think of many that aren't among Ignite alumni in town. I’ve heard Ignite Waterloo is unlike any other Ignite in the world. This is a global amateur speaking format, but somehow ours is different.  What is it about this town that keeps producing the worlds best stuff. My Ignite talk on soaring was surreal, the whole night is a blur.  There were so many powerful images, messages, stories, and delicious local beers to remember everything - and the facility, how many awesome distractions!  I think all who attended would agree that it was a special night, a fun night, and a great opportunity to be kids again.  I mean there were literally adults running across the room and up a flight of stairs to see what all the cheers from the airplane toss were about. There are hundreds among the workplaces and think tanks of this town wondering if they are having enough fun in their life, or, what it would be like to enjoy every second of every day?  Life isn’t a read through, are we deferring it?  And at what cost, the planet, our morality? It was a heavy night.  But, we also learned some great places to find laughs for better health, and that throwing a chisel is a worse idea than being happy.  Old businesses die, and new better businesses replace them.  We learned the connection between cave paintings, wall posts, and tweets, and had social art showcased for us.  New ideas, new concepts, and passionate individuals! We learned not to tolerate social discrimination, and we should work to eliminate systematic discrimination from education systems.  Seriously, all this and more in under 2 hours! My talk wouldn’t have been what it was if it weren’t for the 8k Grey Silo run I did at 10pm on Tuesday, and I’ll definitely run the Scotiabank 1/2 marathon at the end of Sept., maybe.. really maybe, the Toronto full (Boston marathon qualifying race). I don’t know how giving my Ignite talk will change my life, or if it will be that the other presentations on Ignite night will be enough for a change; but I feel much richer as a person for having participated.  And, I get the impression that’s not a unique sentiment.