Heavenly Beverley : Wild Women of the West.

Monday, 20 October 2014

Wild Women of the West.

Today, I attended the fourth annual seminar of "Wild Women of the West". It was my first time and I was nervous. I hadn't hooked up with another woman and was unaware which table I was assigned. Arriving at just after 8.30 am, I checked for my name on the notice board. My heart sank, somewhat. I had been placed on a table with two women with whom I was not not enamored. Having explained my unease to two of the organisers, I was moved to a table with women I knew and liked. I met a lass, new in town and we clicked immediately. Bit squishy but I was much more comfortable.

There were stalls of clothing, shoes, beauty products, African condiments, Tupperware, a Cancer Council stand and giftware. There were a lot of women. The guests were Sara Macliver (a professional singer) Jen Atkins ( a "life coach"), Tomas Ford ( a cabaret artist) and Patti Chong ( a prominent lawyer). The marvellous Marlene Willson was MC. In between the guests' appearances were morning tea and lunch, with plenty of opportunity for browsing the stalls.

An interesting mix. Personally, I really enjoyed listening to Sara Macliver and watching and listening to Tom Ford. Sara talked about her life, her singing, her family and her struggle with anxiety and panic attacks. Tom was a one man tour de force, a singing, fast mover and shaker. He pushed the boundaries - too far for quite a few of the women - but watching his energy, his bravery and his showmanship, I was left feeling unafraid in my own personal journey of creating our story.

Jen Atkins was an advertisement for herself and her books, CDs and workshops. I was not very impressed. Patti Chong gravitated from being rivetting to slow. Perhaps as she was a last minute replacement as a keynote speaker, she was unsure and hesitant with her speech. I was prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps, the organisers could have left the keynote speaker's spot absent for this time and just explained that there had been a cancellation at the last minute.

All in all, I had a really enjoyable day. The "Wild Women of the West" seminar is a fabulous community effort for a town the size of Heavenly Beverley. I am undecided as to whether I'll go next year. But I still think it's a fantastic opportunity for women in the wheatbelt to get together, talk, laugh and share their experiences. Long live "Wild Women of the West"!