<img src=”http://laura.moncur.org/wp-content/photos/JaneLauraMikeCorrected.jpg” width=”300″ height=”400alt=”Jane Goodall, Laura and Mike: 03-04-08″ title=”Jane Goodall, Laura and Mike: 03-04-08″ class=”imageframe” align=”right” />As part of my Internet Exile, I attended a lecture featuring Jane Goodall at Abravenal Hall last week. I really loved the lecture by her. She was entertaining. She told us four stories about chimpanzees. She then told us about all the ways she has been trying to help save not only “her” group of chimps, but the neighboring towns, and the world. Most importantly, she gave us REAL things that we could do to help her like volunteer for the local Roots and Shoots program, donate to the Jane Goodall Institute or just buy a stuffed monkey.

I would have enjoyed the whole evening a lot better if the University of Utah hadn’t struggled so hard to make her lecture an “event.” They spent over an hour showcasing the local musical talent of Red Rock Rondo and presenting Terry Tempest Williams. Each of these artists were good enough to hold their own two hour concert or lecture, but they were crammed before Jane Goodall’s speech with an audience itchy to see Jane.

Worse still, Robert Newman, the Dean of Humanities at the University of Utah, spent TWENTY minutes introducing her! We had all paid our money to see Jane Goodall. WE KNOW WHO SHE IS! We don’t need anyone to spend twenty minutes telling us all over again.

We bought our books and waited in line with our nephew. His mother was adamant that he get a chance to talk to her and pose for a picture, even though it was a school night. I glanced at my watch and it looked like we weren’t going to get out of there until almost midnight based on how long the line was and how quickly it was moving. Fortunately, Jane’s people came through the line and took us to the front so our nephew could get home and get to bed. You can’t imagine how grateful we were.

Despite the minor inconveniences, it was a wonderful night and I felt honored to be there.