Now for a taste of something different: The Emissary of Peace

Of all the titles I want to hold, the Emissary of Peace is among the top 10. It sounds super cool but unfortunately it doesn't really apply to me. Clearly, from my past posts, I am an angry, angry girl.

This weekend, I'll get to watch the guy who the real Emissary of Peace reports to. You may have heard of him- he answers to the title Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama will be speaking at Qwest Field this Saturday (more information below) and obviously, lots of press want to be at the event. Guess what? If they want to get in, they have to go through a PR agency.

Which (HA) happens to be the one I work for.

I'll be managing a reporter section (oh, joy!) which is a bit of a surprise because I was expecting to be an usher or other kind of grunt but whatever. I'm just happy to be around for this event. That sounds cheesy but I'm really glad I have the chance to volunteer.

The event is called Seeds of Compassion and is about, "providing the fundamental foundations for happiness and success in children, their lives and the society they live in. Those foundations which are critical for success in school and in life include Early Learning, Cognitive Development and Social-Emotional development."

I majored in Child Psychology, with an emphasis on Psycholinguistics (yes, it deserves all inital capitalizations) so my interest is always perked up when I hear of an event or a cause that aims to help children, you know, not FAIL. I think the most important thing that parents can pass on to their children is respect. Respect for themselves, other living creatures and the environment. Once they have respect down, they are set for life. Compassion is just the cherry on top of the Respect sundae, y'all.

This is probably going to be a grueling, brutal event. Reporters can be mean (and yes, PR people can be asinine) but hopefully we can all get together and act compassionate and respectful towards one another for at least a few hours this weekend.

Otherwise, I'm kicking them out of the press box. Just sayin'.

SEEDS OF COMPASSION GATHERING
APRIL 11–15, 2008, SEATTLE, WA
http://www.seedsofcompassion.org/event/
An unprecedented gathering to engage the hearts and minds of our community by highlighting the vision, science, and programs of early social, emotional, and cognitive learning.

Anchored by the deep wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this community–focused event will celebrate and explore the relationships, programs and tools that nurture and empower children, families and communities to be compassionate members of society.

Each of the five days will provide parents, educators, business and community leaders with an opportunity to better understand the real benefits of compassion, and concrete steps on how to bring compassion into their lives.

-Signing off in Seattle