Skip to main content

Lunch Time @ General Conference

I took the opportunity to rub shoulders with three general authorities for lunch today.
When I looked for a place to sit for lunch, I found a table with two Latin American, single adults, Jessica Pino from Venezuela and her boyfriend Courtney Jurado from Chihuahua, Mexico.  I couldn't figure out how they got into the lunchroom since they weren't working for Conference, but then Elder and Sister Pino joined us at the table.  We all visited in Spanish for a while, which was fun for me.  Elder Pino went on to offer the opening prayer for the Priesthood Session of the conference.

As we were finishing up, Brother Osguthorpe approached our table.  Everyone stood.  I didn't recognize him at first, but then I remembered him for an academic paper I read.  Osguthorpe has multiple degrees, including a Ph.D. from Brigham Young University (BYU), and is a professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at that institution.  I told him I was considering BYU to pursue a degree in IP&T and he invited me to schedule an appointment to come visit with him.

As I was walking out, I ran into Elder Samuelson and his wife.  Our eyes met, and I'm sure he just assumed I spent time at BYU under his presidency.  I wasn't going to stop them, but he approached me and greeted me warmly.  He asked me how I was enjoying conference, and I told him that it has been amazing and it was only going to get better.  He just smiled in agreement. Little did I know, he would be speaking moments later in the Afternoon session.

What a splendid opportunity I had!  I feel so privileged to simply be in the presence of such worthy celebrities.  Eating lunch with these men helped me humanize them a little bit more, thus gave me the hope that I can be like them.  They make me want to be better.

I'm also grateful for the wonderful examples of those already involved in my life, especially but not limited to each member of my family.

Labels:

Comments

  1. NoelleSat Apr 02, 06:40:00 PM MDT

    Wowie! You lucky duck. That's pretty funny about Cecil.... :) It was fun seeing him speak today, I felt just like I was back at BYU :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. HeatherSat Apr 02, 07:00:00 PM MDT

    I was never there under Cecil, but enjoyed his talk today. thanks for posting this, I loved getting the insider info. So glad you got this fantastic job!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please share your thoughts.

Popular posts from this blog

Rummi-"CUB" vs. Rummi-"CUBE"

The "Rummikub" Pronunciation Debate Affirmative Constructive: "Cub" For years, I have been a firm advocate and defender of the pronunciation, Rummi-"CUB".  The game box I grew up with spelled it, Rummicub  on the box. However, other productions of the game have variant spellings: Rummykub , Rummy Kube , Rummy Tiles , etc.  Based solely on box spelling, the game's true pronunciation is open to interpretation. Therefore, Rummi"cub" is equally acceptable to any other given pronunciation. Negative  Constructive : "Cube" My opponents argue that since the game originated over seas, we ought to respect and maintain its original pronunciation. Affirmative Rebuttal: Americanization of the Term When the game was brought to America and given Americanized rules, its name was also Americanized. Pronunciation loyalists then counter my rebuttal with, "there are lots of adopted foreign words that have retained their original pron...
5 comments
Read more

The Secret Reason Why "Good Witch" Feels Emotionally Off

TL;DR It's the Botox. For the past 3 months, my wife, Stacia, and I have been watching  Good Witch  (via Netflix and Amazon Prime). Stacia adores winding down to "Hallmark-y shows." We can rely on Good Witch episodes to always resolve happily. The episodes are never too intense. The height of conflict revolves around things like someone's inability to locate the perfect spot to snap a romantic photo for a new tourism brochure. I consider my time watching these shows spouse bonding time , and emotional training. My favorite thing about watching feel-good shows with Stacia is getting to observe her facial reactions to the on-screen drama. When two people lean in for a long-anticipated kiss, Stacia tucks her knees into her chest and frowns with her forehead while lifting her chin and bottom lip. While I'm typically unable to suspend my disbelief, Stacia seems completely entranced by the various characters' emotions. Wishing I could join her in being swept aw...
4 comments
Read more

Who's Got The Funk?

I am an amateur guitarist, and I've got no funk. My musical skills seem to lacking that special something . Great musicians have it . Those fortunate enough to have gotten hold of  it , create timeless hits. While musicians without it  fade into oblivion. After spending hours searching through Blues history websites and 1970's band documentaries online, I discovered what that special something  is thank to a (70% Man, 30% fish) character from the BBC show "The Mighty Boosh" named Old Gregg. He identified that  thing  as  The Funk ! But what exactly is The Funk ? Here is some dialogue from the show to help explain its origin and purpose: Old Gregg: You're a musician, yeah? Howard: Yes I am. Old Gregg: Butchya ain't very good, are ya? Howard: I'm one of the best in town. Old Gregg: Come on, I read your reviews. Hmm? You know what your problem is? Howard: What? Old Gregg: Ya ain't got the funk. You're all rigid. Hmm? You're l...
2 comments
Read more