And Now the Conclusion to "Thank You?"

Dear Future Rich & Successful Husband,

You're going to need to be enchanting, amazing, witty and a great conversationalist. Because if you're not, and we're out to dinner, I'm going to check my work e-mail.

Well even if you are all that and a bag of chips, I still might sneak a peek. If you're in the bathroom, for instance...

Just sayin'...

That's not exactly how I happened to check my work e-mail last night. I was dining at Againn (if you live in the DMV, and enjoy a good gastropub, I highly recommend it), and my friend and favorite redhead Allyson left the table, so I, natch, whipped out my Droid to see if the world had changed in the last 30 minutes.

"Your Blog Post" from Anne Blouin. Anne Blouin....how do I know that name? Wait a minute--holy crap! The person who heads ASAE's Education Department is responding to my last blog post; in short the person whose team is to whom the blog post was directed. Yikes!

Well, I was brave enough to write that darn blog post--might as well be brave enough to read the response...

Dear Toni Rae,

I'm responding to your blog post and want you to know that I think you are absolutely right. And I apologize. We should have graciously thanked you for the time and expense you incurred to participate in the sitcom. While not an excuse, this was a case where everybody thought somebody else was stepping up. And we unfortunately missed a chance to tell you how much your efforts meant to us and your association colleagues too. And while we did recognize the participants from the stage (note: I am assuming they did this during the Tuesday General Session, but I was not there), it is also appropriate to receive a more personal thank you. I'm just sorry you had to post something for us to notice.

I hope that even under these circumstances, you accept my apology and our sincere thanks for your efforts. We received a lot of good feedback from folks saying they enjoyed the sitcom while we also received some constructive criticism as well. However, regardless of the reactions, it does not diminish our thanks and appreciation to you and all of the other actors for the dedication and time commitment you demonstrated.

Regards,
Anne Blouin, CAE
Chief Learning Officer
ASAE

Can you say "holy crap!" more than once in a single setting?

Anne went on to give me permission to use her response in any way I saw fit. And it's fitting for me to publish one of the best apologies I have ever read, to show everyone that ASAE is listening to what their members have to say. It makes me realize that if they're responding to my personal concerns, they're probably heeding Maddie's, Matt's, Robert's and all of the other constructive responses (and kudos) to their Annual Meeting.

Faith restored, world brighter. Now to move on, apply what I learned from this entire experience and stay in touch the wonderful folks I met in the process.

So one more time and hold the sarcasm: Thanks, ASAE. Apology accepted. And you're welcome.