A Chore Getting to DEMO 2008 But With Redford

Getting to DEMO 2008 was quite the chore yesterday. It took me more than twelve hours to get from San Francisco to Palm Springs, in what should have been an hour'ish flight. Planes, trains and automobiles without the trains through thundering rain and wind.

Those of you who travel frequently know the drill - they tell you the flight is delayed, then you'll have an update in an hour, and another one a half an hour later and so on. Meanwhile, you're stuck at the gate where you can't relax, work or eat.

Luckily, I discovered several DEMO attendees and demonstrators on the same flight, many of whom I knew through the industry or previous events. "Getting stuck" makes for great conversation and bonding, particularly when a group of strangers are thrown together without warning. The best kind.

One such group was formed between SF and LA, which is where we were ultimately rerouted later in the day. And so, we decided to talk about vacation diseases. This led to a series of funny and not so funny stories about third-world horror stories that ranged from bladder infections, SARS and Malaria to Typhoid, Cholera and Hep A.

Once you've bonded at this level, its easy to move onto subjects like feng shui, people's star signs, divorce, the magic children bring and alternative medicine and exercise. All that before diving into on-stage DEMO presentations and business models.......the way life should be.

On-site at LAX, I realized that Robert Redford was on our flight. He wore a fitted knit hat, faded jeans and the kind of glasses my grandfather wore after he turned 70. Yes, he looked old, but hearing his voice only brought back the magic he has created in his lifetime, rather than the focus of the wrinkles on his face.........the way life should be.