Reflecting on the way home, I felt engaged during the entirety of Palin’s speech despite the fact that the content did not capture my imagination (and occasionally bored me.)

Palin’s charisma is different…I was not drawn to her through the instilling of confidence (most politician) but instead through a genuine simple comfort. Her down home, ‘aw shucks’ approach worked to perfection. It was something I had never felt before but I could clearly see how she had become a mayor, governor and vice-president hopeful. It would definitely play very well with the American heartland.

While Palin seemed to be an inspiration to many of the women in the crowd. I found her (and Todd’s) ability to have a large family while successfully pursuing their dreams to be something that I could draw upon as I struggle to find the correct balance in my life.

While I would be worried with Palin running the free world, I was very impressed with her as a speaker and found her words to be filled with optimistic wisdom.

The bright side of my foolishness is that I now have a blank slate to start again. I can craft the message to what I would like.