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Erica's Blog
Evelyn Hannon: Aging Disgracefully

What a Grandmother Can Teach a Techie

February 21, 2010

This latest adventure started off really innocently. I was in the audience watching Erica present her Yummy Mummy point of view during Ad Week in Toronto. Beside me was Richard Chassie, a guy I'd worked with in the tourism industry many moons ago. Richard asked me if I was going to the  PodCampToronto Unconference. 'What the heck is an unconference?', I asked. His initial response was, 'No one pays to attend, no one gets paid to offer a session and you, Ms. Journeywoman should offer a session on building community'.  (He didn't really call me, Ms. Journeywoman but the sentence sounds so much better with those two words in it).

Anyway, Richard had offered me a dare without understanding I have a love-hate relationship with challenges. My first response was dread. Me? Digitally deficient me? Leading a session on community building to techies a third my age who use words like 'apps' and 'widgets' and 'podcasts?'  I'm a 70 year old Bubby. Remember?

Richard goaded me and appealed to my ego. 'C'mon, you can do it; you'd be great.' I would? Hmmm ... maybe I should rethink my fear?

I go home and write a blurb describing my session. I call it, 'Social Networking is not Rocket Science.' That part is so easy and the blurb sounds so good I'm now convinced that I can actually do it.

Yes, this is going to be a piece of cake, I think as I go to the PodCampToronto webpage to upload my session description. I'm met with complete and humiliating failure. After ten tries I give up. The ###! form keeps telling me to retry my password. 'Sure, Ms. Journeywoman,' I tell myself. 'You who can't even fill out a form is going to stand up in a room full of people and tell them how to build online communities.'

I contact, Eden Spodek, one of the organizers and she agrees to post my blurb for me. I cross my fingers as I think, if she can't do it either then I won't have to speak. However, Eden is one of THOSE techies and she calls to tell me that I'm now good to go.

I go back to the PodCampToronto website to read some more and I learn that at unconferences if the speaker doesn't appeal to you, you are encouraged to leave and find a session that does please you. Now I'm imagining three people at my session and two of them are leaving as I introduce myself. The third remaining person had wandered in out of the cold and he's just happy to stay and keep himself warm.

I'm feeling the dread deep in the pit of my stomach. Call the kids, I tell myself. They'll put things into perspective for you. (At this point I'd like to insert a warning to all moms. Be careful what you tell your kids when they're young. Those words will come back to haunt you. Big time).

I should have known. They both say, 'Mommy, stop worrying - you'll be great. OK, gotta go. I'm busy.'

Needless to say, the last couple of days before the unconference I'm feeling a little queasy. I stay calm by telling myself, Failure is good. You learn from failure. Each great woman has had a great failure in her life.

The morning of the conference as I'm getting my computer ready to take with me, I check in with Erica who tells me, 'Mommy, leave your computer at home. Just put your presentation on a memory stick.'  What Erica and I don't realize is that this is an unconference. At unconferences speakers are responsible for bringing their own equipement.

Yay, I think to myself as I hear this rule from the very young organizer who looks like he's a bit older than my grandson. No computer, no presentation. No embarassment. I'm already visualizing the sign I'll put up on the classroom door. UNsession cancelled. UNavailable computer. Until, the sweet young guy sends me to find Connie Crosby who will lend me her computer.

Cut to 10 minutes before the session. It's standing room only and everybody has tech-savvy-ness written all over their faces. My mouth is so dry I know I'll open my mouth and nothing will come out. The videographer comes in to tape my presentation. Great, now not only will the 100 people in the room know I'm an idiot, so will everybody watching in the halls, at home, on farms, and in shops around the world.

I open my mouth and 30 minutes later I close it. I have no idea what I've just said but I do realize the applause I'm hearing is loud, VERY loud.

Last night I checked into #pctotoronto and found four very special tweets that I hope will show other oldies like me to stay 'in the game'.

@faisal_q Impressed with 70 yr old @journeywoman 6K followers and can barely use a PC #podcamp

@DonnaPapacosta At #pcto2010 Evelyn Hannon aka @journeywoman has the crowd eating out of her hand.

@mikepelzfox Was so thoroughly impressed with @Journeywoman presentation today at #pcto2010. The best social media talk I've seen in all events I've been to.


@laurenonizzle There is NO WAY this @Journeywoman woman (Evelyn Hannon) is 70 years old #pcto2010


WOOT! It seems a Bubby actually rocked PodCamp2010.

 

P.S.  I just read an article called '1,400 social media junkies swamp Ryerson for Podcamp Toronto 2010' written by Lauren O'Neil, a Toronto Star intern who was in the audience when I spoke. Imagine my surprise when I read this paragraph she wrote about me.
 

'my favourite session of the day, hands down, was journeywoman.com CEO Evelyn Hannon’s “Building an online community is not Rocket Science." Homegirl was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most innovative thinkers of the new century, and her website gets more than one million visitors a year. But that’s not why she’s impressive. She’s impressive because she’s become insanely successful online despite not having a Blackberry or iPhone. She can barely use a computer and she’s 70 years old. Plus, she’s hilarious and my new idol.

Dear Lauren, Thank you very much!

Labels/Tags: Journeywoman, tags, Erica Ehm, PodCampToronto2010, #pcto2010

Posted by EvelynH at 15:48:07 View Comments | Click Here to Comment

The Nicest Form of Family

January 26, 2010

I am the lucky grandmother of two delicious adopted Chinese granddaughters and two juicy Caucasian grandchildren. For those who might be wondering, Chinese grandchildren are exactly the same as Caucasian grandkiddies except that the shape of their eyes are different. I was in the delivery room with my daughter, Erica when Josh and Jessie were born. I was also in China in 2002 when my first baby grandchild, Lotus was handed to her mom, Leslie and just recently, I met my second little Asian love, Bexie at the airport when she arrived on Flight # AC030 from Beijing. The sense of wonder and the instant outpouring of love and bonding was exactly the same for all four children. Simply put, whether connected by bloodlines or by random choice, we are FAMILY!

We were all at Pearson Airport so that we could be the first to hug and hold Bexie when she touched down on Canadian soil. Her cousins each took turns wheeling her around the Arrivals Terminal in her stroller. They were so excited; they had a 'new doll' to play with. On Hanukah, all the kids, including the baby wore Chinese pajamas to celebrate and honor the newest Chinese addition to our family.

 Lotus thinks her big cousin Josh is the coolest guy around. Ever. At Lotus's recent roller skating party, Josh was only one of three boys invited. The thing that made our little eight year old smile 'big' was when her cousin Josh put his arm around her for a birthday photo. She later told me, 'You know Bubby, you can't marry your cousin or your babies could have 'extra parts.'  We are FAMILY!

 And when I planned a birthday tea party just for Jessie, Jess called and asked if Lotus could come, too. They were more than happy to eat the birthday cupcakes I provided but otherwise they ignored their grandma completely. They spent most of the afternoon together in front of my bedroom mirror, holding imaginary microphones and pretending to be famous and fabulous rock stars.

These two little girls make a big fuss about closing the door when they change their clothes. Boys aren't allowed to see them. I think how lucky these cousins are to see each others bodies and to understand that we all have the 'same bits' and parts. Under our clothes we look exactly the same. We are FAMILY!

Unlike most children Lotus mysteriously gives up french fries in order to have plain white rice on her plate. She's been like that since she's been a baby but all Chinese preference changes on our Jewish holidays. It's sweet to watch her devour her chopped liver, gefilte fish, chicken soup and matzo balls. I swear she eats more than anybody else at the table.

This past week-end I had the pleasure of celebrating 'Gotcha Day' with Lotus and her family. On this date in 2002, twelve other Canadian families received their Chinese daughters along with us. We travelled together, supported each other, signed adoption papers together and lived in the same hotels both in Beijing and Xi'An. Since then each year we all meet on this day - parents and kiddies - to renew our friendship and connection and to reminisce about our time in China. The girls are now eight years old, they've grown like little weeds and it's heartwarming to see how comfortable they are with each other. I like to believe that these young ladies are slowly building bonds that will grow stronger each year. I like to believe that as they get older and understand more, they, too, will be happy to say, 'We are FAMILY.'

P.S. If you'd like to read about my grandmother experience in China, please click here 


 

Labels/Tags: Chinese adoptions, China, adoption, Evelyn Hannon, Journeywoman.com,

Posted by EvelynH at 13:23:17 View Comments | Click Here to Comment




Behind The Blog

Evelyn Hannon is 69 years old and a grandmother. And not just any grandmother. She's the pesky kind that carries pictures of her four delicious grandchildren, Josh, Jessie, Lotus and Beckett to share with everyone she meets. She's also the mother of two grown daughters. And not just any daughters. She's the mom who gave birth to Erica Ehm of Yummy Mummy Club fame and Leslie Ehm, her equally dynamic sister.

Evelyn thinks being a grandmother is really like being a mother except now there's more people to care for and love. And there are loads of perks to the job. There's nothing like your daughter saying, 'Thanks mom, I needed that' when you offer to do crafts with the grandkiddies so she can go to a movie. And is there a better gift than a hug from a little one who says, 'Grandma, I love you.'

P.S. In her other life, Evelyn is the award-winning writer and editor of journeywoman.com, a travel website especially for women. In that capacity she explores the world solo...but she always remembers to send postcards home.

Stay tuned as Evelyn tackles this thing called 'life from a grandmother's point of view'.

Follow Evelyn on Twitter at http://twitter.com/journeywoman

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