An unforgettable day so far...

Today didn't exactly turn out the way I thought it would.

First was getting stuck in Philadelphia because the incoming plane was delayed. By more than 90 minutes.

Then, there was the state of arriving in Missouri tired and 'zoned out' from the trip, and finding that it was pouring!!!

Needless to say, I was drenched while trying to make my way between the Stadium stop and the Hilton hotel.

It sure wasn't the most invigorating way to mark my participation in the conference.

But after a quick shower and feeling sufficiently refreshed, I picked up my camera and video recorder and began my first experience in IABD... as a participant, and also as a member of the IABD Press team.

Dr Robert C Camp (Indiana U of PA) presenting his paper at the session.

Dr Hamid Khan (Our Lady of the Lake U, SA, TX) making a response to the presentation.

One of the first full session that I attended was the one on capitalism, and I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of rigor and passion in the exchanges and debates. And even though it was about a topic that was clearly not my forte, I found myself getting entrenched in energy of the discussion and the friendly confrontations!

These were people really like a family because many of them have actually been around for the past couple of conferences. I even interviewed Dr Raymond Cox (without knowing his background, and thinking he might be a potential newbie) only to realize he's been attending the past 21 IABD conferences.

Just what keeps them going?

It's the sense of FAMILY - and many of them have known each other for a long time.

And as Dr Shahid Siddiqi told me after the close of the evening, it's vitally important to find your own group of friends or people you know because that's how you'll develop that space to grow and develop.

In a word - RELATIONSHIPS!

Indeed, the social capital is indeed one of the most defining elements of our society today, and this is coming alive in IABD.

I think this is going to be a most intriguing conference after all.

Can't wait for the second day to commence...