OCF 2025 Things I Found Along the Path

July 20, 2025 by

OCF 2025 Resources

I dedicate this post to my friend James Island, who came down with Covid pre-Fair and couldn’t display and sell them in Xavanadu! Check out his fine lamps!

For my more writerly review of OCF 2025 – click here. I also encourage you to join my email list and keep up with what I do during the year. And, if you’re an OCF Vendor – hop on this list for a couple of marketing emails during the year that might help you with OCF!

Here are links to things I found at this year’s Fair – stickers, lighters, biz cards, and more. Enjoy! And, support the arts! In no particular order… 

  1. A lighter and stickers from Drive to Space – I heard this jam band at the Kesey stage on Sunday. I believe they’re based in Eugene. So so good!  “The group fuses their energy into a cohesive, mind-meld of sound – complete with tempo and key changes, odd meters, tight jams, and well-written, complex material interspersed with improvisation.” – yep! 
  2. Cheri A. Ellis – Booth X63, Xavanadu. My good friend Marcia Wiley introduced me to Cheri, who was vending for the first time this year. On the way in, Cheri (who was vending solo!) twisted her ankle. Her work is lovely – she’s out of Seattle – I checked in on her daily. She seemed to be having a blast.
  3. Daphne Singingtree – Author, Educator, Water Protector, Land Defender.
  4. As I learned about the danger of woodsmoke, I’m thinking out loud about how to electrify things like the Ritz. The Ritz goes through a lot of wood during the Fair, and that smoke permeates the event. In conversation, I learned about Peach Power, a group that is working to bring solar to the Fair. I hope to speak with them once I find out how, about the Ritz.
  5. Pew Pew Zap – Dorky Stuff for the modern adventurer!
  6. Oregon Warmline – 1-800-698-2392 – I think this is a line for people to call who need confidential help. Probably picked this up in Community Village. Sharon Bliss is the warmline manager – sharon.bliss@ccsemail.org
  7. Energy Trust of Oregon (talked to them about electrifying the Ritz & a bunch of other issues.
  8. Have Guitar Will Travel – Charly Price – 530-575-9480
  9. Robert Bolman, Artist. Wow! Here’s a piece of his.
  10. Cascadia Wildlands – We Like it Wild! ”

    We envision vast old-growth forests, rivers full of wild salmon, wolves howling in the backcountry, a stable climate, and vibrant communities sustained by the unique landscapes of the Cascadia Bioregion.

    Envision it with us. (ed. Great organization doing important work – and thanks for the Oreos you left out for passersby! Nom nom!)

  11. KLCC – One of the many radio stations that were representing all weekend. This is an Eugene-based station (I often catch it on the way into and out of Fair!). Speaking of community radio, my home station, KBOO, is playing the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival live right now – thank you!
  12. Seth Francis, Energy Engineer and Sustainability Consultant, ICR Engineering. More discussion about electrifying the Ritz. And E-bikes!
  13. Black Goat Provisions – by Works for Now Farm, Humboldt Co., California. Handmade Soaps, Natural Beauty Products, Sweets & Treats
  14. There was this fun booth (not sure if it was open during the day….) that had interesting dice or you could spin a dial, I think? My “Love poem with the apocalypse” ended up being: We began fated flame time discord!
  15. OCF Tent Tag 08057 – this is fun (if you’d like it, contact me!)  Ground score post Fair
  16. Jameeshka – A musical maelstrom of modest magnificence! Music – performance – curation – workshops – multimedia – Side 2 – Ishka Lha – lovely artwork – worth a visit!
  17. Releaf Foundation – my friend, Jeff Eichen, out of Port Townsend – Jeff does so much good work in the world – it’s hard to keep track. Pics from OCF 2025.
  18. I picked up some info from Oregonwalkbike.org about Oregon’s new law for people on bicycles – Stop as Yield – Keep in Motion, Go with Caution!
  19. Micah Ofstedahl, Altered realism, acrylic paintings. Neat Stuff!
  20. Kelsie Diana Hubik, Sound Therapist – NadaBrahma Sound Healing – this woman had an incredible collection of Tibetan Singing Bowls. She’s located in Menicino, CA. Kelsie did a residency with Rainer Michaells, PhD – in Sandpoint, ID – heavenofsound.com
  21. Got OCF Feedback? Click here or via this address: 442 Lawrence Street, Eugene, OR 97401
  22. Support Psychedelic Science – Maps.org – Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
  23. Nick Lorenz, SEM Coach, Production Efficiency – Energy 350 – longtime friend – knows solar! Working with Energy Trust of Oregon!
  24. Conscious Growth Convergence – October 2-5 @ Lost Valley Education Center, Dexter, Oregon (I heard great things about last year’s gathering from friends – who’s going?
  25. The Center for Rural Livelihoods – Regenerating Landscapes & Remaking Society (found this booth in Energy Park).  (used to be Aprovecha)
  26. Honorable mentions to all the great food booths I got to experience this year – Chez Ray’s! (salmon burger); Vegan Truck Stop; Phoenix Rising (yummy breakfast); Pierogies at the top of the 8; and Salmon on a Stick, folks – you were amazing! And so much more (most of my Fair $ goes to food and drink!) – oh yeah, Hemp House – a delicious hemp/strawberry shake!

Playing for the kids @ Wally’s Way stage – photo by Lloyd

Thanks for a great Fair!  Yeah!

 

 

 

 

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OCF 2025

July 17, 2025 by

Oregon Country Fair 2025 – a Review

Hey there, I’m back from another Oregon Country Fair (OCF). My head is still a little scrambled, and it’s been 3 days since my return from the fields and forests of Veneta, Oregon. This year was another hot one – daytime temps were in the high 80s, and then for the 3 days of the Fair, temps climbed into the 90s. This ends up having an effect on Fairgoers and those who volunteer for the Fair. Right before this year’s OCF a new documentary about the event came out. It’s about an hour long and does a great job of showing off various aspects of the Fair. Enjoy.

About those volunteers, there are thousands of them. That’s something notable about this event that’s different than anything I’ve attended before. The amount of people and people-hours that are poured into this event is quite incredible and makes for a giant family of people who work together to create Fair Magic. Most events have a ratio of volunteers (or paid staff) of about 10 or 20 attendees for every ticketed customer. In the OCF case, it’s much closer to 1 to 3 – a very low ratio (if you know the exact figure on this, please let me know). I volunteered as a musician this year, playing for kids at Sesame Street and Wally’s Way stages.

This episode brought to you by the inexpensive construction headphones I schlep everywhere to help me sleep during loud music and other noise at festivals like this one. And while I’m here, these headphones are part of a 11 life tips series that you can sign up for here. For some great background music while reading this – try out Fair TV – which is streaming the shows from the main stage as I type this – 7.17.25.

So, besides the great food, wonderful music, interesting spoken word, an incredible 1st annual Friday night burlesque show (go in 2026!), and interesting crafts, there are things that are not obvious. Oh yeah, the costumes, people on stilts, marching bands, cute kids, and all sorts of serendipity – there are a few things I want to talk about that are not obvious unless you’ve been coming a while.

Networking.

I am lucky to get to Fair a few days before the official event begins. This meant the Wednesday before Fair for me this year. This led to wandering the 8 and connecting with many craft vendors and other volunteers before the event opens. Some of these relationships have been going on for years. I see you booth L12, Wileyware! As someone who helps small businesses with email marketing, my conversations are sometimes about how to help the crafters market their wares – both at the Fair and beyond.

Wileyware

Wileyware

I got into a conversation with Skeeter Duke, who’s been coming to the Fair since close to the beginning. He talked to me about the intention of the Fair at the start was for people to come together and network. Figure out how to create a new society together. How to take the ideals that were being discussed in the late 60s and spread them through the community and work, and build together. I’m going to keep learning about this intention (there were newsletters back then, and many elders from the time still carry on this effort today). There’s so much to say about this. And I think this part of the Fair is a little obscured by the pageantry part.

 

For example, the Fair features 2 big areas devoted to organizations doing interesting environmental activist work that create all sorts of opportunities for education, but also networking. These are Energy Park and Community Village. I think most people and the booths themselves are missing a big opportunity that I hope to elevate here. We tend to approach the booths at Fairs as consumers – these people behind the table or wall have something to offer us. Maybe it’s a blintz or knish. Maybe it’s tie-dyed socks or a beautiful guitar or earrings. But maybe it’s wisdom. Maybe it’s an internship for someone you know. It goes deeper than that. Here’s an example.

While I was sitting in the Ritz** (an incredible collection of saunas and showers – one of the main reasons I go to the Fair, actually), which is also a great place for networking (or catching up with friends, or group singing in the sauna). Anyway, I look up and see the smokestack puffing smoke. The Ritz burns a lot of wood each year at the Fair, and that smoke is spewed into the air and breathed by fairgoers. I’d been thinking, as I’m learning about woodsmoke, how do we electrify the Ritz? The saunas could be running on electricity and sparring fairgoers (and the region) a little bit less woodsmoke in the air. I ended up in a long conversation by someone who’d been on the OCF board in the past and she mentioned Peach Power – an effort to bring more solar panels to Fair. Well, without that conversation I wouldn’t have been able to then have a different conversation with someone from Energy Trust in Energy Park about the same topic.

I work on a few livability issues. Getting Rid of Gas-powered leaf blowers; dark skies Oregon (esp. how to slow the spread of too bring LED lighting); Keeping Trees Standing; and reducing woodsmoke. Mostly, I’m focused on Portland, but everyone could benefit from the work I’m doing.  So, when I’m face to face with someone who is part of an NGO where these issues are related, I see the person on the other side of the table as an ally. This relationship is possible with anyone at any time – but at Fair, things are labeled better 🙂  ie, the booth dedicated to seed swapping in Energy Park is a great place to talk about saving the pollinators. Seeing my longtime kinda guru, Sharanam – we got into a conversation about setting up a show for him in Portland.

Then, there’s lots of sharing back. Letting people in on Fair secrets – or, what I like to call, showing people the door. Not everyone knows that there are a wide variety of ways to participate in the Fair. You can jury in and become a vendor; volunteer to be part of a crew; but it’s also possible to be an SO (significant other/guest of) an elder (that’s how I got my camping pass this year after many years with various booths and crews). This is something that I want to dedicate some time to in the future – figuring out how to get people to Fair who will have a life-changing experience there. People who might not even know the place exists, but who will benefit from being a part of the Fair Family (which is pretty much everyone).

Fair Information

You can get information about the Fair from the Info Booths located around the Fairgrounds (also known as the 8). But there are a ton of other ways – there are a slew of private and public Facebook groups, for instance. For instance, if you’re tired of my spiel and want more pictures, try out the OCF Unofficial group.

And the information is everywhere – from the banter of the performers (which contains many positive messages) to the Peach Pit, which is the printed guide to the Fair – there’s lots to learn about. There’s even a code of conduct! And general guidelines.

I will probably have more to say about the networking topic I started on above.  My learning about how that informed early Fairs, and my own current approach to networking in the small business world, seems to be pushing me into an area I’m not familiar with.  Going to places we’ve never been before!

The hot temps and dust at this year’s Fair were a reminder to me about how fragile our society is. We march our way through, but it’s challenging. I walked around the Fair most of the time with a wet towel on my head that I had to keep wetting. I’m 64, and I noticed aging for myself and others more than in previous fairs. I got lucky and had dinner with a couple of people who’d been to the very first fair and most of them since that time! 52? 53? I saw more alter-abled transport and more strollers this year than in years past.  Watching kids at the Fair is fun – and it’s also fun to see someone in their 80s oohing and ahhhing like they were kids.

I appreciate the deep connections many of you have with each other. I realized this year, more than in previous years, that those who live in Eugene or thereabouts seem a lot more connected than those of us who travel farther to reach the shores of the Long Tom. This year felt more “local” to me. But I also realize that repeat visits and my many loose ties with a wide variety of Fair people do ground me.

Ah, Fair. Thank you. Thank you for connecting me with many of my friends. Thanks for the chance to share time with people who knew my friends who have passed away – Ben Bochner and Amira. Thanks for the chance to gather in a very safe place and find magic. Fair is not perfect, but Fair is Fair!

Until we meet again, Albert Kaufman, 7.17.25

This year’s Resource List!

PS – your comments are welcome! I am always open to feedback.

PPS – here’s my write-up from last year, and that links to previous years. I may do a Resource List for this year in a bit. Joining my email list is a great way to hear when I’ve written something new.

PPS – my friend, Bruce Bartlett had this to say about the Ritz (which turns 50 next year):

“I agree that the Ritz is otherworldly in its effect on people. I have been transformed in there several times. Each time (5) a new level of tension has relented, both somatically and psycho emotionally.

Doing something you (almost always) do in private now openly and relaxed is a powerful ritualistic tool that can dissolve shame. When the internal tension, that is so often held excruciatingly tight in a person who is troubled by their body or their beliefs about it, is finally allowed to release itself, the person enters into a free, open communal space with music and laughter in the background in a way that feels almost surreal at first. I recall the first moment my shower turned off so the splash of the spraying water on me ended. I opened my eyes and started taking in the world around me. The relaxation, conviviality, and acceptance I witnessed filled (informed?) a part of me that had always wanted that sensual environment to exist. Warm fires make for warm conversations. The toning in the saunas still echoes in my mind.

We have created a portal into a profound body-positive world. The fair itself is a towering testimony to the glorious beauty of the body, in a kaleidoscopic, wild, outlandish statement of joy. This celebration in the Ritz of our innate beings with our unique bodies manifests the world as it should be.

Deep appreciation for its builders and keepers. May many be blessed in the portal.”

Thank you, festival culture, for making me who I am.

Philly Folk Festival
Burning Man
Oregon Country Fair
Vancouver Folk Festival
Beloved
Mariposa Folk Festival
Hartford Folk Festival
Middletown Folk Festival
Folklife Festival
Garlic Festival
Singing Alive
Cascadia Songrise
String Summit
World Domination Summit (3)
Neurodiversion 2025

I’m probably missing a few 🙂

And to my Mom and Dad, who pushed me in this direction from the very start

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Manny Karp

May 21, 2025 by

Manny Karp

Invitation From Bob Karp: “Moses lived 120 years”, so that’s the greeting given before asking one’s age, warding off the evil eye.

There’s no ceremony for such a thing.  We’ll spend an hour or so in remembrance.

Video of the event

From Larry Siegel:

“Manny Karp had a beautiful, soulful baritone, a bit like Bing Crosby in timbre, but not playful in that way, more melancholy. You Are My Sunshine, When They Chopped Down the Old Pine Tree; I will always hear those songs in Manny’s voice. From Sol Siegel and my Dad, I got Beethoven and Schubert, from Manny and Rich, and Bob, I got traditional music. So– absolutely fundamental to who I was to become.

Sol Siegel, I lived with as a child, basically a second father. He was Pop-pop, the OG Pop-pop. Manny was Grandpop, the OG grandfather. He smelled like sweet pipe smoke, had soft, handsome features, and somehow, in my perception, beautifully mixed the warm and the rueful. I loved him dearly.”

From Albert:

“Wow, I feel like I’m being introduced to someone I knew very differently. The Pop-pop I knew was somewhat in the shadow of his wife, Esther (Gay-Gay to me).  I remember spending a week at their house in the summer in Margate (right next to Lucy).  He took me fishing on a pier nearby – we weren’t allowed to go all the way out – I was too young to be permitted that far … we caught sand sharks and I loved his sense of humor.
I also visited them in Boca Raton, FL, a couple of times – once just me, and once with my sister, Liz. He was always very kind and warm towards me.”

From Ben Karp: ” About Grandpappy:

“They built a -cabin- of pine.”

…and that shows something of Grandpoppy’s character. The original lyric to the song  “Cut down the old pine tree”is “built a coffin of pine” which makes sense in theme (and engineering).

He wasn’t going to sing that to his children who had lost a mother, though he was obviously feeling it in the original, having lost his sweet gal.
Granpoppy’s original name was Mendel. I learned this from Ancestry dot com. 
Here is a dedication for Grandpoppy in whose name are dedicated the next volumes of the Yiddish translations of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s “sichos” or transcribed talks.
He might have had mixed feelings about that, given he moved on like most of his generation from both religion and Yiddish. But I think finally he would appreciate it, and the fact and sentiment, and the benefactor of its inception.

There is also now Yiddish study support at the University of Pennsylvania in his name, and I am sure he would both appreciate and marvel at that. Penn is only miles but a world away from the Fishtown he was born in.

Lastly, alas, still an unsolved mystery which I had hoped to clear up by today, but still waiting as I have for decades now.
Recently, a friend from New York was over for lunch and, with my dogs on his lap and at his feet, showed me a picture of his own terrier.

“He’s a really sweet dog,” he told me, “and we only got him because his owner, Brian De Palma, was travelling too much to take good care of him.”

So I asked him to ask his neighbor a long curiosity of mine, which is why the Dennis Franz character in his 1981 film Blow Out (filmed partially in Mt Airy btw and I remember when they roped off Lincoln Drive) is named “Manny Karp.”

De Palma did go to schools in the philly area. Was it made up completely, perhaps a name in his mind, or did he ever encounter our very own Manny?

(added) – It’s that way he had of imparting wisdom. Rabbinical, you might say. However he learned to do that, he did do that, in a lovely, understated way. One relied on him for that.

Still waiting….

Looking forward to seeing you all very shortly. 

Ben

From Becky Siegel:

“Hi everybody.

I share Larry’s happy memories of the pipe and the lovely singing of those two songs. Grand-pop was a gentle, sweet, beautiful presence in my life. And he is still very present. Thank you all for coming together to celebrate his memory. Anybody feel like writing down some of the shared stories for Larry and I to read? Or, some of you tech wizards, is there some way we can listen to this zoom later on? Thanks.

Sending lots of love to you all. Becky

From Liz Kaufman-Taylor: “I have only the fondest memories of Pop-Pop. I loved his calming smile – I can still see him watching me with that smile! So many memories of every phase of my life. And in every one he was smiling. I loved our visits to Margate, which always included Corned beef, Fritos, and Tastykakes – the frozen peanut butter Kandykakes. I remember playing games and walking on the beach. And then there was Century Village. They loved to take us around and show us off to their friends. And still, deli and games. It was always so warm and welcoming. And then what a blessing when they came back north! While this is where my memories are saddened, there were still many years of spending time together. Listening to Pop-Pop’s stories, watching game shows, playing games, and chatting with all of the staff who took such good care of them for so many years. I learned about respect and dignity and the simple joys of life from my time with Pop-Pop.”

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How A Constant Contact Solution Provider Can Help You

May 6, 2025 by

Constant Contact Solution Provider

I’ve been a Constant Contact Solution Provider (partner) for 17 years. Over this time, I’ve provided assistance to hundreds of Constant Contact users. Everything from getting accounts set up and running to discussing marketing strategy.  Constant Contact encourages marketers to work with solution providers, providing any account holder with a solopreneur like me.  

You can see if you already have a solution provider that you’re connected with in your account settings. 

This is a free service to you. If you’d like to learn more about how our future relationship might work, please visit my VIP Club page! Then, contact me and let’s move forward! 

The Partner Program – How to Become a Partner

If you are a marketer (webmaster, brand expert, SEO, graphic designer) who is looking for additional income and training, please visit Constant Contact’s partner program description. And if that feels tempting, please use my sign-up link to apply for the program (I will be compensated if you become a partner). I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have, and here’s a video that also explains the program features. 

 

 

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Happy Earth Day 2025

April 21, 2025 by

Happy Earth Day

Portland 4.19.25

Portland 4.19.25

I’ve considered “Earth Day every day” for a long time. But it is also special to know that every year on April 22nd, it’s officially celebrated. And though the news is challenging to follow right now, there are still good things happening.

Something fun that you might know about me is that I use email marketing in my environmental efforts. I’ve been working for years to rid the world of gas-powered leaf blowers, for instance. Before that, I built a list and sent out news about getting rid of phone books. Yeah, remember them? I’m also very interested in trees and keeping them standing and planting new ones. And most recently, I’ve started a new Dark Skies group for the Portland area (happy Dark Sky week!). If any of these efforts interest you, there’s a newsletter for you!

If there’s an environmental issue you care about, starting a newsletter on the topic and building your list over time is an incredible way to make change happen. I love working with people who are doing this type of work, as you can imagine. If this is you, I will bend over backwards to make your experience a good and successful one! Hit reply and let me know what your issue is and where you are in your journey.

We all want and need clean water and air to live. There is no planet B. Happy Earth Day! I hope you find a way to participate this year in a way that brings you joy. Maybe it’s time to get a garden started!

Albert

PS – This was my newsletter to those on my business email list. You can see the original with a bit more content here.

Happy Earth Day!
Pics from a recent walk @ Powell Butte Park

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Neurodiversion 2025

April 2, 2025 by

These are a few of my Favorite Things

I attended the first Neurodiversion 2025 “A Celebration of Unique Minds” conference. One hope I had when I traveled to Austin was to come home with an idea for a new newsletter. Through a series of conversations and meetups, I came up with a weekly one featuring a talk by an inspiring speaker. Thanks to Hank from Wyoming, who brought this idea to fruition. You can join in the fun by signing up here – the first talk will be headed your way, and I believe you’ll enjoy it. Here is issue #1

I’ve been a fan of Chris Guillebeau ever since I first learned about him in 2017. That led to following his writing, reading his books, and attending a conference he put on for 10 years called The World Domination Summit (WDS). Like most cutting-edge events, this one attracted a lot of interesting people. When Chris announced in his A Year of Mental Health newsletter that he was trying out a new conference focused on neurodivergence, I bought a ticket straight away. I’d been missing the magic of WDS and any excuse to gather with the types of people who are attracted to this type of event = I’m all in. As the event got closer, I hemmed and hawed and considered selling my ticket (who needs to go to Texas? How can I leave Portland when the fruit trees are all starting to bloom? It’s easier to just stay put and keep doing what I’m doing!). But in the end, something stirred in me, and I bought my plane ticket, and I was off to Austin, Texas, for 5 days!

I wanted to come to Neurodiversion with an attitude of openness and an interest in learning. I tried to be as open as possible and not push my agenda on others. This proved to be a good idea because so much of what I was about to experience was new information.

A couple of years ago, I made a new friend, Sundeep, at the Breitenbush Summer Solstice Healing Retreat, who offered to host me. He was also able to buy a ticket, so we got to share the experience, and I got to stay in his lovely house Northwest of the City. I also stayed a couple of days afterward, and we visited some special places like Casa De Luz, The 3rd Eye Lounge, The Laguna Gloria sculpture garden, and the Zilker Botanical Garden above, with a beautiful view of Austin.

On day 1 of the event, my first meetup was about singing and was led by Whitney. Unfortunately, it was held in a nearby bar, which was kinda loud. But I also learned a few things, and it was nice to start with an interesting meetup. I then followed a group to the gelato place across from Fair Market (the main venue) and talked to Whitney about Human Design. After that, I participated in a meetup about activism and ADHD. That was held in a nearby hotel where many who attended the conference were staying. Then, it was time for registration and the opening ceremony, where we played this fun ice-breaker! The idea was to go around and see if you could fill out your bingo card. But the way this was set up, it was hard not to meet a few people and hear some fun stories.

The next day began with a great couple of keynote speeches, and then there were breakout sessions leading up to lunch. There were people attending from 4 countries and all over the US. I think there were probably about 250 people attending and 15-20 ambassadors, who helped answer questions and register us. They were very busy, and I’m glad I paid to attend vs. doing that. I know the event is free for ambassadors, but I think it would be hard to see all the speeches and attend meetups if you were in that role.

Karla Starr’s presentation on AI really stuck out to me. She’s very smart – at one point, the mic cut out, and we couldn’t hear her (we were wearing silent disco headphones). After a minute, she just switched to Spanish, which was kinda hilarious. Eventually, her talk got back into gear, and she regaled us with info from the AI highway. Productivity tools and various ways she’s using AI. Here’s an example.

Part of what makes this type of conference wonderful is the workshops we all put on for one another. On the last day of the conference, I offered a meetup on how to improve where you live. This idea was based loosely on the various issues I activate on in Portland. I also wanted to make the activity interactive, so I asked people about where they lived and the types of issues they face there. Then I offered some tools and ideas on how to make a change where you live.  I talked about how everyone you interact with will take the information you share in a different way. And also how long some of these campaigns (to get a bike lane, get trees planted, stop a big box store from being built) may take. Some really great questions came up, and I felt like the meetup was one of the best I’ve ever done.

How to Improve Where You Live Meetup

The days sort of blur together for me. But I’m excited to share that this conference had a really lovely feel to it. It reminded me of WDS in that the people were very interesting and also willing to come towards one another quickly. Not every interaction I had was fantastic, but quite a number of them were. And I got to learn more about neurodiversity and ADHD than I knew before. I didn’t think of myself as neurodiverse before the event, but now I’m kind of wondering.

Through the course of listening to talks and meeting a wide variety of people, I really got a sense of what neurodivergence is about. I know a number of people who are challenged by this and now have some perspectives and tools I can offer that might help. I also got to wondering whether and how I might also be neurodivergent. I arrived at the event, figuring that my brain works just fine and that I was there to learn to help others. But by the end, I realized that I shared some of the same challenges as others were speaking of through the weekend.

I’m fascinated by what it takes to put on an event like this. I feel like I’ve been to many things that have some similar elements, and have been planning my own funconference.me for a while (coming this Spring!) – but this also had an element that I’m not familiar with. I think it was the topic and people mix that felt different. My intention in attending was to try to come with an open mind and heart, and that worked out well. I tried to pull back on sharing my own agenda too much and stay open to learning and meeting people. I’m very glad I tried that approach, as I felt that the conference kind of worked its magic on me.

At the last group meeting, Chris did a check-in to see how people were feeling and asked if we should do the event again the following year. He then shared that we could buy tickets and that Neurodiversion will happen next year (date and location TBD!). I decided to buy a ticket – both to support the event and cause I will likely attend.

After that meeting, we had a fun party outside on the lawn. It had been very hot during the day, and it was nice to congregate on the lawn. There was a place to pet animals, a marching band, and some other fun things + two food carts, and a wine & beer bar. I wandered around and had some time with some of the people I’d met and met a few new ones, too. The conference also has a private Facebook group, and people have been posting some pictures and lovely thoughts about our time together. An interesting part of that is that even people who couldn’t make it seem to have been touched by the event.

After Neurodiversion ended, Sundeep and I headed back to his house and went to sleep. I had a good, long sleep and woke up refreshed and very thoughtful! I spent another couple of days in Austin – got to see a great sculpture garden; ate a couple of meals at Cafe De Luz and hung out at 3rd Eye Lounge, then on Monday visited a lovely botanical garden before heading to Cafe de Luz and then the airport.

Overall, it was great to get out of town, make some new friends, learn about ADHD and other neurodivergences, have a WDS reunion with folks I’d met in previous years, and get inspired. Thanks for reading this far!

I’m always open to feedback – feel free to leave a comment or write me directly. And, maybe I’ll see you at Neurodiversion 2026!

Activism and ADHD Meetup

Albert Kaufman, Portland, Oregon 4.2.25

PS – Here’s a short write-up by Chris Guillebeau of the event.

 

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