Okay, so, yes. Just like the title says, today was 100% the best day I’ve had on board. But it isn’t for the reasons you’d think.
Yes, its true that for any true Canadian/Alaskan, a good day starts with good weather. And, yes. It was 65 and sunny rolling through Glacier Bay today. I took my lid off, wore a T-shirt and shorts (not that I am supposed to), and the ship was able to get closer to the glacier’s than we have all summer:
We even saw seals:
And yes, I certainly can’t complain about the absolute feast that was dinner. I mean, who can choose between freshly sautéed Mongolian beef and vegetables, prime rib, or freshly made sushi?
But the real reason I am writing this post is not the views or the food, it’s a single comment from a woman who attended one of my presentations. And this comment has changed my outlook for my talks.
The woman’s husband had passed before being able to join her on the cruise. He had been a university professor, and because of this his wife had travelled with him to hear him speak at plenty of seminars, symposiums, conventions, and conferences–and whatever other word you want to use for people speaking on stage. And after attending my program, while I was wrapping things up, she felt the need to come up to the stage and tell me something. Her comment was:
“You remind me of my husband. Even though you’re the one standing on the stage, I never felt like I was being lectured or spoon fed a lesson. It felt like we were just having a conversation.”
Moving forward, I will forever strive to give this experience to every one of my audiences.