October 26, 2009

Push Me....

I've been thinking a lot about art lately and writing a bit. Here's a poem that came to me today in the library after coffee with a friend. I've been struggling a lot lately with the state of the world. I want to change the world. I see myself as an agent of social change. There is so much wrong with it. But sometimes I feel so overwhelmed. It's hard to find hope. There is so much bad in the world that sometimes it's hard to think that the change and revolution so many long for will ever come. This poem stems from some of my feelings. I haven't written a lot of poetry and think this poem needs some more work. But here's a first taste of something I've written.

Push me
Make me see something new
Something different

Push me
Make me uncomfortable
So uncomfortable I squirm

Push me
Out of my comfort
Out of my indifference
Out of my complacency

Push me
To learn something new
To evolve
To change the world

October 12, 2009

Welcome to the Ella Baker House...


I had a desire for so long to live in community and the day finally came. Four of us, Andrew, Aidan, Lisa, and me set out on a journey to try this grand experiment called an "intentional community."

So far we have been spending our time getting to know each other. We didn't know each other before moving in, but found we shared similar values and a desire for community.

Our first big project was to choose a house name. This was not an easy decision, but we finally decided on the Ella Baker House. Ella Baker was a civil rights activist that worked with many of the big activists of her time such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and W.E.B. DuBois. Despite her well-known cohorts, her name is not often heard. This is because she was many behind the scenes doing organizing. We really admired the fact that she didn't seem to care about being well known, but instead focused on the cause. It inspires us to keep on working for whatever issues we feel on our hearts and to work for change in our community.

We've also worked on other various projects such as making a compost bin, figuring out how to split groceries, cooking with the massive amounts of produce I get from my job at the farmers market, and hosting a housewarming party.

We have many more goals to set and accomplish and I am excited to see where we go as we try to change the world.