I recently participated as a speaker at a TEDx event in Napa. The volunteer organizers did their utmost to anticipate every possible glitch, and every aspect was thoughtfully considered with painstaking detail. It was as if it had been choreographed by seasoned professionals.
In an ideal world, the event would have gone off without a hitch, but just as the first speaker uttered his first sentence, an ominous cry was heard from the audience. Another sentence later, there was an equally disturbing sound, alerting everyone to a crisis situation: An audience member had suffered a massive grand mal seizure.
The speaker left the stage, and for 30 minutes, the 250 people in the audience waited until the paramedics arrived and whisked the patient off to the hospital. Then, the show went on.
One of the “meanings of the moment” for me came, coincidentally, from the theme of TEDx Napa, “Connection.” One of the most powerful ways people connect is through a shared experience, and we had all experienced a dramatic event, which would forever connect us. It reminded me of the first time I was an airline passenger after 9/11 and could imagine what everyone else flying that day was thinking. It was a profound and important moment in recognizing the commonality—and fragility—of our humanness. We are all, indeed, connected, and depend on each other.
There were so many powerful lessons in that experience at the Napa Valley Opera House. Connections occur not only with dramatic events, but also in everyday life. For instance, when I deliver a seminar or speech, I often ponder that the unique combination of people in the room will never convene under such circumstances again. We are all forever connected by sharing the experience. I was also reminded of the Latin phrase, carpe diem (seize the day), and the power of living in the moment. After all, that’s all we truly have, and most of the worries we entertain never actually materialize. And yet, even the best-laid plans can change in an instant. We’re all together in this, and somehow, the show goes on.