Dear Docent Community,
I am an avid Winter Olympics fan. The summer Olympics are too overwhelming–too many events (swimming, track and field, gymnastics, basketball, etc.), and I have other things to do in August. But the Winter Olympics are perfect. Amazing athletes doing crazy things (biathlon – cross country skiing and then shooting?!), and my February is WIDE open for lots of television watching. Consequently, I have been thinking a lot about community this month.
Obviously, Olympians are representing national communities. And it’s fascinating to watch the athletes hug each other as races are finished. Good sportsmanship? Sure. But you come to realize that all these people know each other really well; they have a community within each sport. They see each other at all the events where they compete, not just the Olympics.
The Olympics has me reflecting on our docent community. Especially how difficult it has been to have our community separated by the pandemic. Sure, we often Zoom. And, while it’s not the same as being together, I am thankful to HAVE Zoom. I’m glad this pandemic did not happen before we had this technology. Nevertheless, it’s clear that we need to be together, to have that sense of community. As docent council president, I have heard this expressed by docents more than any other concern.
Docent Council created a task force to quickly find events early in 2022 where docents can be together. Hopefully, with Omicron 1 waning and (hopefully) Omicron 2 not being too much of a threat, we can find togetherness at in-person events. In addition, the Enrichment committee is ramping up to provide many opportunities for docent engagement and togetherness in 2022. Watch the bridge to learn about all upcoming events! It’s inspiring to see so many of you working so hard to keep us all in touch. I will not shout out individuals here (there are many), but you know who you are. Thank you!
Even in the best of times, February is a quiet time for our community. Very few tours are departing, and many of us are somewhere far from Chicago. With the ice, snow, and cold, everything is just a little harder. So, I will relax on my couch and watch world-class athletes do crazy things on ice and snow. And I will look forward to joining you soon at an event where we can celebrate our docent community.
Stay warm and safe! Kent
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