Not quite sure where my mind is at this morning. All of those daily tasks are starting to rush back in and it is indeed difficult to get focused on reflective writing. Creating space for such activities so easily falls to the bottom of the list. Yet in a place like the NewSSC these practices became quite natural because they were scheduled into the day. They were officially part of the day. In some ways, I wonder if this should be the very first activity that I take on for the day. Before any other routine task. I say this because at the moment I am finding my mind drifting to other things that “need” to get done. Mundane things like clean the house, sort through papers, etc. I’ve started to put these writing up on line. Not in a very public location, but in a location where I can refer to them and perhaps refer others to them. I should consider putting the Woods Hole and Arouca posts up there as well.
HUD has new funding available for dissertations. I am wondering if I can spin my research to be read as a community development exercise. I definitely think that communities could think more solidly about how to create inclusive and participatory settings. These in turn could inform how individuals transform their communities. How do we create “open spaces” within the context of our urban landscapes? How do we express value for individual contributions to creating thriving city environments? I should read more widely in this area.
I definitely have a lesser quality post here. I guess I need to get into a more meditated mindset. Actually set myself up and get myself going. But hey, at least I got myself going.