Day Six: Sorry my entries have been long and boring, time for a change of pace?

Instead of writing an extensive entry on various programs, I would like to share some thoughts that are just constantly floating around in my mind.

Thought 1: Listening to the people here talk about their experiences on the ride from the airport to the site is shocking because they are strikingly similar to my own. I was talking to one of my friends that mentioned experiencing less of a culture shock returning from India and arriving in New Orleans, than from leaving New Orleans and travelling to another part of the United States. That says something, most specifically it says, “New Orleans reminds me of a country is sometimes referred to as a third world country.”

Reread that last sentence. New Orleans, part of the last remaining superpower in the world, is on par with third world countries.

Thought 2: I’m living on a commune. In this place I get the sense that there is some kind of energy that is just moving this place forward; there is no hesitation, strike out forward and never stay still. I’m getting the feeling that I’m dealing with people that are changing the world. Even if it seems like this school is just helping out one neighborhood, it’s doing so much more. The vibe here reminds me of what I have heard of the freedom summer, of social revolutions. There are people just showing up and doing what they can, and living in a communal space. Crap, have I turned into a hippie? No……..maybe?

Thought 3: Sprouts are so much more than they appear to be. Over the past couple days, I’ve felt lost and a little frustrated, because I was just doing manual labor and not being an intellectual and finding some solutions. But now I’ve come to realize that everything I do here is a part of the education, and process of understanding the neighborhood and the school. In order to plant the sprouts, composed is used. In order to gain compost, local stores must bring over their expired goods. To do that, people must connect. And so on, and so forth…

Thought 4: These groups have the potential to be great, and to do great things. I just feel like there are a lot of ideas, and not enough attention to detail. Records need to be kept a lot more closely, and tighter organization of human resources would be so much more efficient. Someone needs to just bite down and do it. By organization and structure, I mean running YCCA and NY2NO much more like a group like Frost Valley, a summer camp with which I have had a number of positive experiences. The people that execute these programs need to be on the same page, and put up a united front if they wish to solidify important things in people’s minds.

Thought 5: If I stay here, I will keep thinking in ways that I have not previously. The mission of Blair Grocery is supposed to come first, but I can’t help but be excited by the changes that I perceive possible.