This 2nd day of the conference was full of speakers and information, conversation and panel discussions. I sat in on a conversation among moderator Linda Ellerbee, Olympic champion Dara Torres, and 'Sully' Sullenberger who landed a full plane safely in New York's Hudson River. Age doesn't matter and can be an asset when it comes to assessing the chances of a good outcome. Other breakout groups included many topics and people, from Ashton Kutcher talking about the web, to Elizabeth Smart and her mother taking part in talking about overcoming the unimaginable.
The morning's opening session afforded me the chance to listen to broadcaster Paula Zahn, Safeway's top executive Larree Renda, actress, athlete and activist Geena Davis and Disney executive Anne Sweeney as they told how they worked to get where they are. Good Morning America's always-wonderful Robin Roberts led a discussion among FDIC chairperson Sheila Bair, Governor Schwarzenegger and Sir Richard Branson about influences in their lives and their journeys to get where they are today. Eve Ensler, the author of The Vagina Monolgues performed a piece from her newest work, I Am An Emotional Creature, that was a great look the hearts of women. And Somaly Mam, a Cambodian who struggled from a young age to survive the brothels of her native land and now works for the betterment of women in that dire situation, spoke about the work going on to stop the common practice of mutilation inflicted upon so many women still today.
The afternoon lunch session started with Meet the Press moderator David Gregory leading a lively discussion with former Sec. of State Madeleine Albright who is quite a character, young conservative commentator Amy Holmes of CNN, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Claire Shipman of ABC News. Katie Coric spoke about her life's path.
The most captivating thing for me was having Maria Shriver come out and talk so openly about how the death of her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, has brought her to her knees. She was joined by actress Susan St. James whose son died in a plane crash, Elizabeth Edwards who also lost a son, and Lisa Niemi who very recently lost her husband, actor Patrick Swayze, to pancreatic cancer. It was so candid and so open and they were so gracious to share with us their raw and honest emotions. No matter who we are, the human condition is what we share. This was quite an event and quite a day.
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