Triggered.

I’m back from Toronto, but instead of going straight home to the Sunshine Coast I am in Victoria visiting Greg before I go home tomorrow (Monday). Union conventions are a whirl of really intense activity and I hate coming home to an empty house afterwards, so I elected instead to wind down in the presence of someone who could understand that a little bit. As it is, I have been easily triggered by small things the last two days and find myself taking things a bit more importantly than they should be. I’m trying to regain my perspective on the world, which is something I know will take a couple more days (thus my maxim: I never make life-changing decisions in the middle of a 8-day convention as they will be fueled as much by lack of sleep and alcohol as by good sense).

It was good to revisit Toronto after three years and I spent a whole day before things started just walking around to the ‘hoods I have hung out in there – The Annex, Kensington Market. Once the confab got started, I barely left the hotel – so it was great to have a free day to wander around and have dinner with Steph. Without going into the details of constitutional ammendments and elections, I will say that the convention was quite interesting – with a real election for a change – and I had quite a lot of fun, though was beyond exhaustion when I arrived in Victoria Friday night. If you have never been to such an event, I cannot explain the general energy, sleep-deprivation, emotionalism and excitement that swirls around the 800 or so participants contained in a hotel like this. It’s overwhelming, and am I ever glad to be almost home!

I will say that I have a much deeper appreciation of the structure, politics and power struggles of my union than ever before – and for that alone, the fight to become a delegate was definitely worth it.

I will also say that coming home to someone is far preferable than coming home to my empty house. That worries me a little – it’s a bit too comfortable.