Reflections on a SmartTalk

On Monday, hundreds of Minnesota women (and maybe a few men) gathered at Orchestra Hall as the Minneapolis SmartTalk series got underway.

SmartTalk is a lecture series held once a month for the first five months of the year. The mission "stems from the idea that women are inspired by the heart and voice of other remarkable women." The lectures feature about 45 minutes of speech and then 45 minutes of question-and-answer.

The first speaker was former First Lady Laura Bush. Her topic: Life at and after the White House. All politics aside was the theme of the night. Her down-to-earth personality and easy-going nature allowed the audience to really think: what would it be like to live in the White House? How does such a life-altering experience ever allow you to feel at peace?

And even though you had to wonder if Laura Bush had really ever had a normal life once marrying the former President, with the Bush family's heavy involvement with high-stake politics, it made you realize that no matter where you live, certain things, like family, children, and love, always take the top priority.

While the talk may not have inspired all to go out and change the world, that might be the exact point. No matter how much of our lives we dedicate to changing the world, it is the close relationships with others that truly shape the world around us.