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Naturally, his speech didn't become famous, like Tony's speech had become who spoke before him, who had struck a familiar chord in everyone's heart. The response to Ross' speech was an agonizing self-conviction. It was actually remarkable, against this background, that there was any applause at all. Nevertheless, I felt that Ross had accomplished far more than Tony had accomplished, and I congratulated him for his victory.
Heather and I had spent the evenings together during the time when Ross and Sylvia were preparing for this grand presentation. The honesty that unfolded from it had opened up a whole New World for us all. When Heather and I told the others of our group about our affections for one-another, and the need to allow them to unfold, no one objected or made a sour face. Perhaps it didn't seem extraordinary anymore, or nobody knew anymore what was up and what was down.
A great overturning had begun, so it seemed, and that promised to continue to unfold.
After Ross' speech became history, I recognized that the development that had occurred during the days in which Tony's, and Ross' speeches unfolded, was more profoundly related to World Peace than anything that had been presented at the conference up to that point. Nevertheless, all of this turned out to be just another beginning for still greater developments.
I realized during this time, that in real terms, Heather, Ross, and Sylvia and I had achieved nothing outstanding since the unfolding of our affections towards another hadn't ended there. We had merely responded to the spiritual renaissance that had somehow been set into motion by the new focus at the conference that we all had created and contributed to in our own way. It was only natural, therefore, that everyone would benefit by it and continue so, evermore.
It was fortunate for us all, especially for me, that Tony had been successful in getting his girl watching speech onto the agenda quite early. It had made waves that could be felt as far away as Russia. He gave a powerful speech, as Ross had correctly forecast.
When Tony stepped onto the podium on day of his speech, I was probably more apprehensive about what was to about to happen than he evidently was. I had experienced first hand, many times before, how a profound idea can be utterly ruined by a poorly structured presentation, or a poor reception. But Tony's speech didn't go sour. He delivered a beautiful address. Although the substance of it was not always correct as I saw it, this didn't seem to matter at all, compared to the tone in which his observations were put forward. Besides, who was I to judge him, and if I were justified in judging, would it make any real difference anyway? What did it matter that we were reaching the top of Mount Everest ten feet apart from one-another, ascending by different routes?
It had been marvelous to see Tony on the platform, realizing how different he was now as a person, compared to his air show days. He wasn't on that platform to impress anyone, but to share his excitement with the mountains and with climbing them.
"Dear friends," he had said quietly.
One could almost feel the embrace that these few words signified.
"We who are assembled here, who have chosen to stand on top of the world shouldn't lock ourselves inside an auditorium. I propose that we dissolve this assembly. Let me invite you to reconvene at Alberto's pub on the second floor of the shopping mall next door. Some of us have found this pub a far more productive place for thinking about peace, than this soundproof castle of padded doors and concrete walls. We have worked overtime at this pub every night, researching the problems involved with creating unity, peace, and honesty with oneself, overcoming isolation and division. We've done it over a beer, interspersed with a great deal of girl watching. Yes, girl watching!"
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