I have wanted to write about my time last weekend at the Free Speech in Medicine Conference (www.freespeechinmedicine.com/2022conf-agenda), but it's been hard to find words sufficient to express how powerful the experience was.
I think that the best way to convey it would be to refer to a comment on Trish Wood's substack:
I agree with the commenter that perhaps it's no coincidence that the conference took place during the Emergencies Act Inquiry, because the two are spiritually linked.
As anyone will know who's been following this week's testimony by Convoy organizers, one of the dominant themes that emerges is the way that the Convoy brought hope to so many people. The Convoy broke the Narrative with a message of love, not fear. There are thousands and thousands of people who feel the same way as you.
I felt that for me, as a physician, last weekend broke the Narrative in a bit of a different way, which is, it's not possible to believe any longer that doctors, lawyers, professionals and academics who see a problem with the past 3 years are a "small fringe minority".
I described the weekend to several friends as "healing", but to misquote Sam Gamgee, "that don't do it justice by a long road". I believe (literally) that the atmosphere was supernaturally charged with a spirit of unity and humanity. Prior to the weekend, one might say that I saw through a glass darkly; now I see clearly that there are many others, from everywhere, on this journey, and the time for being afraid is past.
If you get a chance to attend anything like this, please do. You won't regret it.
A highlight of my life was hanging out with Jay Battacharya in his hotel room, which goes to show that when you step out on a path that you know is right, even if it seems scary, incredible doors get opened.
P.S. I met up with a doctor friend of mine at the conference. This friend had lately come from his class reunion. He told me, "Initially I didn't even want to go to my reunion, I didn't want to have to get in arguments with people and so forth. And do you know what happened? The whole evening people were coming up to me saying, 'Hey, you know what, you were right the whole time.'"
no subject
I think that the best way to convey it would be to refer to a comment on Trish Wood's substack:
https://trishwood.substack.com/p/of-heretics-and-heroes/comment/10174505
I agree with the commenter that perhaps it's no coincidence that the conference took place during the Emergencies Act Inquiry, because the two are spiritually linked.
As anyone will know who's been following this week's testimony by Convoy organizers, one of the dominant themes that emerges is the way that the Convoy brought hope to so many people. The Convoy broke the Narrative with a message of love, not fear. There are thousands and thousands of people who feel the same way as you.
I felt that for me, as a physician, last weekend broke the Narrative in a bit of a different way, which is, it's not possible to believe any longer that doctors, lawyers, professionals and academics who see a problem with the past 3 years are a "small fringe minority".
I described the weekend to several friends as "healing", but to misquote Sam Gamgee, "that don't do it justice by a long road". I believe (literally) that the atmosphere was supernaturally charged with a spirit of unity and humanity. Prior to the weekend, one might say that I saw through a glass darkly; now I see clearly that there are many others, from everywhere, on this journey, and the time for being afraid is past.
If you get a chance to attend anything like this, please do. You won't regret it.
A highlight of my life was hanging out with Jay Battacharya in his hotel room, which goes to show that when you step out on a path that you know is right, even if it seems scary, incredible doors get opened.
P.S. I met up with a doctor friend of mine at the conference. This friend had lately come from his class reunion. He told me, "Initially I didn't even want to go to my reunion, I didn't want to have to get in arguments with people and so forth. And do you know what happened? The whole evening people were coming up to me saying, 'Hey, you know what, you were right the whole time.'"