18 Jun State Conference
Well, I did my first Keynote at a State Conference this past week. I was asked to speak at the Kentucky Safe Schools and Communities Conference in Louisville. To make it even more fun, this is a conference that I attend every year as it is made up of D.A.R.E. Officers, School Resource Officers, Crime Prevention Officers, and educators from across the state. I have taught at this conference and countless others before but in break out sessions with 30-40 people in them. I was honored this year to get to spend an hour and a half with 350 of my peers talking about the responsible use of social media.
It struck me as funny this year, that I was a little nervous the night before my presentation. I was worried my alarm would not go off, and as I laid in bed, I convinced myself that I did not pack the pants I was planning on wearing for the keynote. I have spoken to 1,000 students before in gymnasiums with less nerves. But, I guess it is different when you are addressing your peers.
This was, also, the first time I was speaking on this particular topic. I was a little surprised by the reaction of the audience when I was finished. While my wife and daughters sold our IamSomeone merchandise, countless people came up to me and thanked me for the presentation. Quite a few of them shared their story with me, and almost all of them said things like, “no one is teaching people this stuff”.
Now, don’t get me wrong, it is always my aim to be unique. I don’t want to do what everyone else is doing. But, what broke my heart is that the core of my message was Integrity. We talked at length about how if you are not the same person all the time, social media will blow your life up. It breaks my heart to read story after story in the news about people who were “exposed” by social media. Social media is not the problem. Lack of integrity is the problem. And, it makes me sad that “no one is teaching people this stuff”.
That being said, I am accepting the challenge. I have already been booked to come to Jenkins, KY in August to talk to their middle schoolers, high schoolers, and teachers about this issue. I would love to come to your school, business, conference, church, or event. We NEED to have this discussion BEFORE one of your students or employees blows up their life. I hate playing clean up. I would much rather come in before and help you prevent a potential tragedy. Contact me, and let’s see how we can help your organization.
IamSomeone who is not willing to quietly stand around while people self destruct due to a lack of education. Are you?
