Gosh – it seems like people have gotten awfully edgy around here. That’s not a good sign. Not at all.

This is an experiment in opportunistic social action and cultural resistance to unconventional efforts to advocate. I am learning a lot and the implications are quite staggering. I am SO glad I started this Kickstarter Project – not that I have received any funding or anything…that is okay. I am unconventional in the most difficult sort of way: unintentionally…

In spite of the screeching halt of any progress back to presumed normalcy, or – perhaps because of said halt – I am feeling hopeful and relieved that, finally, I have identified something I can do to help solve the problem.

I can be honest and I can be nice and I can talk to people and listen to ideas and perhaps, by example, teach that people are never problems to be solved, but possibilities that need to be accommodated and nurtured as part of mindful community development plans…which don’t need to be exclusionary or inaccessible in order to be legitimate.

I can keep drawing and start working on paintings and learn some new chords on banjo and just keep hangin’ in there, hopefully a little closer to sense.

as long as I am making things and trying to to be honest and do what I am able to objectively discern may be closer to right than wrong for the greatest number of people – well…then I am doing fine. I am just happy to realize that if I had the chance, I could and I would calmly sit down with Mr. Beck and ask him why he feels like he needs to get everyone so upset. He is like blender between the far left and the far right and it all just becomes terribly confused. I would like to think that most folks are just more toward middlin’ in their politics and are likely about fed up with all the wasted energy time and money (so much money!) that political commentary seems to suck up. I don’t want to be a political commentator. Ever. I want to be a problem solver. The first problem I’d like to solve is that of political commentators and their counterproductive invectives, i.e. pointless rants. I like talking to people about important things.

I think I’d be a great problem solver.

As one inclined to pointlessly rant myself, I understand the power of the burgeoning rant, how the sense lifts you like a wave and then *crash*splash*rant*

It is easy – when you feel strongly about something and people are cheering you on – well, I imagine that it feels almost transcendent almost righteous. It is not. If people walk away from you thinking about how angry they are rather than how hopeful they are – well, then something vital was missed.

To have an audience as wide as Mr. Beck does and to not be responsible in making sure that he is leading them – not just their votes, but their hearts – in the right direction…uhoh. Mr. Beck speaks often of God. I would not speak for anyone’s God – but, generally speaking…it seems unlikely that anyone’s force of the good and righteous would encourage a person to slander good people who are trying to do the right thing.

That is not a gracious way to behave, Mr. Beck. I hope we can talk at some point.

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In the meantime, tomorrow we are leaving for the annual family beach trip to Folly. I am looking forward to it. A break from the clouds and the words. I will still be writing and updating – but with far less fervor than I have.

In addition to this year-end project/experiment in social isolation – I have recently started an issue-specific community blog to offer stakeholders (i.e. everyone who lives here) an opportunity to express their opinions, concerns, etc. about discrepancy in school uniform policy at the local alternative middle school. I am interested to see if any dialogue will be generated and if the online forum, designed for ease of use – will allow people who have a difficult time attending meetings to weigh in. Of course, the fact that the forum is online is in itself exclusionary, but I have encouraged community leaders to help to facilitate usage of the forum, as it is important to give people a chance to talk.

We’ll see. The nice thing is that I haven’t felt this engaged with the world since I was in college – over a decade ago. I have always liked ideas. I do get carried away. However, I think it is important that people have ideas, and that they get carried away. That is how change happens.

I hope that Mr. Beck accepts my invitation to talk. I think it would be very informative for everybody involved. Or at the least, entertaining – no agenda, no expected outcome, just two people talking about what might solve the problem…which has very little to do with people at all, but that which we created.

Re: Interesting Idea?

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hello and report of interesting findings