The day has finally arrived! Today was our first day of filming in the first city of the 2010 tour and it was a complete success. The people of Fresno came out in full force and shared some wonderful aha moments with us. Here are a few inspiring stories from today’s group.

Dick and Sandy Gallagher shared the story of how the loss of their teenage son encouraged them to found the Fresno Survivors of Suicide Loss, a non-profit organization started in 1985. Dick and Sandy wanted to start a support group to offer comfort to those who suffered a similar loss and to spread suicide awareness among teens and the parents of teens.

Nevin Hindiyeh grew up in Fresno and started a grassroots organization called Fresno’s Leading Young Professionals which is aimed at encouraging young people to live and work in Fresno and help lead, serve and connect within their community.


Darla Shwehr is now involved with Exceptional Parents Unlimited, a non-profit support group that offers help for families who have children with disabilities, after having a profoundly deaf daughter. She and her daughter have found that, though their method of communication may be different, their relationship is as close as ever.

San Francisco has many cultural traditions and landmarks that define the city in the eyes of outsiders and inhabitants alike; the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and streets teaming with cable cars are all icons of the city. Perhaps its most significant feature is its large community of ex-hippies, eccentrics and alternative thinkers. This community of people and their history has shaped the city and the surrounding area immensely and are, no doubt, a sort of unruly band of city icons in their own right.

Our crew got a first hand account of this as we explored the tiny but touristy city of Sausalito, just across the bay from San Francisco. Just north of its sort of cheesy downtown area is a thriving mini-city of houseboat dwellers who have all committed to living life communally and ‘off-the-grid’ (as indicated by a precarious and alarming arrangement of power lines and satellite dishes). ‘The Gates’ as the neighborhood is called is made up of about thirty floating homes and was the first houseboat community in Sausalito.


I will admit that at first glance it is difficult to determine if anyone even lives there…and if so, why? It is a hodgepodge of ramshackled and patch-worked houseboats bobbing calmly amongst the visual chaos. There are crumbling docks that lead nowhere, boats covered in layers of colorful paint bleached by the sun and peeling off in great chunks and an alarming number of feeble looking cats left to roam. And for me that is part of its charm. The people who live there have been there for forty years and have a true sense of pride in their community. Everyone knows the names of their neighbors, knows who makes the best curry or who can fix your bike. Walking around and peering into houses with a giant camera would make almost anybody wary but the people here were very welcoming (even if we didn’t get an on-camera interview) and eager to talk about themselves, their neighborhood and its history. While the attitude and lifestyle of San Franciscans may be a little different than much of America there is no doubt that there is common ground to be found in the simple telling of a personal story. Seeing people open up about their lives and communities re-ignited my excitement for our tour launch in Fresno. So long San Francisco!

The aha moment tour is back for another year of traveling the country and collecting inspirational stories in 2010. We’ve got a brand new crew, 25 new cities, and we can’t wait to hear your aha moments! Watch this blog for updates from the crew and be sure to follow us on Twitter at @myahamoment and on our my aha moment Facebook fan page. Sign up here to share your aha moment when the tour comes to your area. See you on the road!

may 3-4 fresno, ca
may 7-8 tucson, az
may 11-12 albuquerque, nm
may 17-18 tulsa, ok
may 20-21 austin, tx
may 24-25 baton rouge, la
may 27-28 memphis, tn
june 1-2 huntsville, al
june 7-8 augusta, ga
june 10-11 jacksonville, fl
june 14-15 charleston, sc
june 17-18 asheville, nc
june 21-22 knoxville, tn
june 24-25 richmond, va
june 29-30 providence, ri
july 6-7 albany, ny
july 12-13 dayton, oh
july 15-16 lexington, ky
july 19-20 south bend, in
july 22-23 milwaukee, wi
july 26-27 des moines, ia
july 29-30 kansas city, mo
august 2-3 wichita, ks
august 9-10 grand junction, co
august 16-17 eugene, or