Reflections and Questions

Leaving the conference, the women were exuding a new confidence; they had taken part in an opportunity that they had never dreamed of. One of the participants in particular had not been aware that such opportunities existed—certainly not for her. She noted:

I had never heard of such a thing as a women's conference—I didn't know what a conference even was—and that women could actually get together to talk about—well, women things. I was surprised too that the speakers were women—I thought they would all be men.

Hearing this affirmed that within my role as coordinator there lay a clear opportunity to offer the women and other members of the group diverse learning opportunities and chances to see, feel, and experience more of the world around them.

On the ride home, the women shared an excitement about the things they had learned. They tried out various Brain Gym activities in the van, and giggled about the antics of the last presenter who at one point had stood on a chair to gain attention. Amidst the laughter and gaiety I found myself wondering, what do you do with information gained but without the context to use or to sustain your enthusiasm? The women were returning to unchanged home situations although they themselves were perhaps changing. I worried that the opportunities I was providing to encourage the women to look at themselves in a positive light could, for some, have the opposite effect. Would the women begin to feel that areas of their lives were lacking? They were asking about future conferences and if we would be going to any more.

In discussion with the women, my fears were allayed. They didn't feel any negative emotions after the conference. In fact, someone expressed that she felt hopeful that her life would hold more opportunities like the conference—opportunities to which she would now be open.

Ending the Project

As a wrap-up to the project, the participants continued to meet once a week past the originally scheduled ten weeks. They continued to draw strength from the group as well as one from another. A sense of closure was needed for those who had opened their hearts and souls and shared their innermost feelings. In a series of mini exercises, I asked participants to reflect on the project and what it meant for each of them to be involved.