Falling in Love with TED

My husband’s name is Steve.  Who is Ted? Actually, TED is more of a what than a who.  About a year ago, I started watching a lot of TED talks. I had heard about them and had seen a few, but while on a driving trip, I really started to learn what TED talks had to offer.

My family took a driving trip last winter from Chicagoland to Florida and back.  I don’t like driving; I do it to get from point A to B. My husband, on the other hand, is a car guy.  My son was 15 with a learner’s permit, so this also provided him with a great opportunity to get in some driving hours.  (If you have a child with a learner’s permit and plan on taking a driving trip anywhere, make sure you check the laws for different states.  You cannot drive in Kentucky on a learner’s permit unless you are at least 16 years old, for example. Check with the state’s driver permit requirements or call the state’s DMV.)  I happily spent a lot of time in the back seat. Although I had brought several books on CD for the family to enjoy, there were not many occasions in which everyone wanted to listen.  While the radio would be playing, my daughter would play games on her phone, and I started listening to TED talks. Wow! If you have never listened, take some time to do so. They cover a huge range of topics and are relatively short in duration, usually 18 minutes or less.  In a nutshell, TED talks share ideas. You may find talks that are persuasive, fascinating, humorous, inspiring, fascinating, and more. As I listen to new ones as time goes on, I will share that information with you.

I also was happily introduced to the world of the TED Radio Hour.  I accidentally found this program while driving, and now I listen whenever I want because the program is available on-line at the TED site or via the TED app.  Each program covers several TED talks with a common theme.  They are adapted for radio, and there is some discussion with the host and the speakers as well as segments of the speakers’ actual talks.  I have literally sat in the driveway listening to the end of the program and have planned driving times based on when the show would be on the radio. I also will listen using “Alexa” when I am doing a lot of work in my kitchen.  It makes the time so much more interesting and enjoyable!

After each talk, I come away having experienced something brand new.  I may have learned new facts, been inspired to reevaluate how I look at things, or may be inspired to action.  They are short enough that I can watch one while eating breakfast or listen to one before going to sleep.

What is another benefit of listening to this programs?  Some of the ideas and the information provided can serve as a great starting point for a conversation.  In this day and age, I believe that we need to put in effort to bring back the art of conversation. That has never been my forte, but I am determined to keep getting better at it.  I have a lot to gain and nothing to lose by working on this. I even hosted a “TED talk and tea” get together at my home recently. Although I only had a few friends who were available, I had in my home a group of people who previously did not know each other well but had the chance to talk about something new and different.  If you have an interest in doing something like this, you can find playlists of talks with common themes on the TED webpage. Find what interests you and watch and discuss as few or as many as you like. The playlist I used for my get together was titled “TED counts down.” As stated on the webpage, this was a “countdown of talks that distill heaps of knowledge in 10 steps (secrets, rules, lessons, etc.) or less.”

TED conferences are held throughout the world. I have not had the opportunity (yet) to attend one. I have, though, attended what is called a TEDx event. Per the TED website, “In the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,” the TEDx program helps communities, organizations and individuals produce TED-style events at the local level. TEDx events are planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis, under a free license from TED.” The one I attended at my local library last September was titled “Chain Reaction” and included a combination of live speakers and videos of other TED speakers. The live talks were “The addict next door,” “Why we can’t let nature take its course,” “How to end educational malpractice,” and “A roadmap for life’s unexpected events.” The videos talks were “How a team of chefs fed Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria,” “Small things, big ideas,” and “How to talk (and listen) to transgender people.” I left the library that afternoon with my eyes wider and mind expanded. It was a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon, and if you find a similar event in your area, I recommend that you check it out.

Here are some of my favorite Ted talks from the beginning of my “TED experience.”  I will share others in future posts as well. Enjoy!