OK, it’s not like every PRSA Spokane event is without its flaws. For those of you who were at our last mix-and-mingle, there was some idiot who almost knocked himself unconscious by hitting his head on a pipe in the loft where the event was being held.

I was that idiot 😐.

Truthfully, it’s not surprising that I hit my head. I wear a 7-7/8 sized fitted hat. Yeah, huge dome. Not a darned thing inside.

But alas, after I was able to remember that it was Thursday and count how many fingers my colleague was holding up on all four hands, I got in the car and drove off. What could possibly go wrong?

My friends, it’s such an exciting time to be part of the Public Relations Society of America’s Spokane chapter. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, we finally started doing events this past year, first with mask requirements, and finally without, like the one we held in mid-April. I really appreciated that.

I see an audiologist this next month. My hearing has never been great. But I didn’t realize until the pandemic, when everyone was in a mask, how often I was reading people’s lips to help aid me in knowing what they were saying. So, to have no masks makes me feel ebullient. That means zestfully enthusiastic. Honestly, I just wanted to use the word ebullient 😊.

As much fun as it was for a few years to roll out of bed onto the computer and have my dog as my co-worker, I missed seeing each other’s faces and hearing each other’s laughter in person. In-person connections are so important to my mental health and well-being. I feel that, as public relations professionals, they’re also vital to our business. There’s no substitute for the trust that’s built through in-person interactions, and the connections we make through shared experiences are irreplaceable.

Another way to put it: Magic happens when we’re all in the same room. Maybe it’s a great new campaign idea. Maybe it’s connecting about a shared passion for something unexpected. Or maybe it’s just the ability to give someone the shake down in the parking lot to join the board. Thanks Lance! And, there’s safety in knowing your colleagues are there in case you hit your noggin and need medical assistance.

Now, we’re still in our rebirth infancy. I think many know that PRSA was considering closing our chapter. The pandemic hit us even harder than I hit my head. But good, capable folks, plus me 😊, stepped up to ensure that wasn’t going to happen.

But, after infancy comes toddlerhood, which I’m not sure is a word but I’m OK with making up words (don’t hate me). What comes after milk? Meat. What comes after crawling? Walking.

While we restarted the chapter and held a few events, it’s now time to reach for the next level. We’d love to have even more people at our events to share ideas, learn from each other, and most importantly, have some fun. We’re talking happy hours, coffee meetups, and maybe even a big conference with speakers and breakout sessions in the future. We hope you’ll join us as we reconnect and rebuild in this post-pandemic world. Here at our new site, just visit the Events page for everything upcoming.

I know I’ll be there at many of them… wearing PPE with a hard hat on 😊,