Monday, September 16, 2013

The Passion Conversation

Last week was a busy, crazy, nutso week for me here in grad-school-donia.  There were power outages and migraines and university bureaucracy galore.  But this is not a post about that.  This is a post about a little pick-me-up.  I am working on my PhD, which means that books are a pretty substantial part of my life.  It's a rare week that goes by without my receiving a book (or two... or more) in the mail.  So there was nothing immediately remarkable when I came home the other night to find a book in my mailbox.  But as I trudged up the three flights to my apartment, I noticed the return address: Brains on Fire.  It was a copy of their latest book, which I had had a hand in proofing.  How sweet of them to send me a copy!  I opened the box as I climbed - never one for delayed gratification - and flipped open the cover to find that it was also signed by all of the BoF crew.  And I'll tell ya, this made me smile.  I'm sure mine wasn't the only signed book that went out.  And as it's been about five years since I left, the people I know there are now pretty much outnumbered by the people I don't.  But still, I was moved.  It was a little long distance hug from this wacky family I got to spend a few years with, and it was a recognition that, no matter how many years or miles or degrees pass, I'm still a part of that family.  And that's really what The Passion Conversation is about, isn't it?  The myriad little things that a company can do to bring smiles to the faces of those who encounter them?  Because isn't a smile the spark of any passion?

Thanks, BoF!  Love you guys!