Millie Bea

Hard to say goodbye to PDX, but seeing my beautiful niece Millie Bea softened the blow. Any time she is concentrating hard on something, that adorable tongue of hers is out. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

Movin' On

It was really hard to say goodbye to Portland. Or rather, it was hard to say goodbye to Summer Camp. I had gotten so comfortable there on my sister's front porch, basking in the serenity of solitude, the sounds and smells of summer, the rhythm of life without deadlines (except for one or two I totally missed in my what-day-is-it? mode).

It wasn't like I was totally idle -- like some Victorian lady of leisure napping on the sofa. I was always active, thinking or doing or creating or learning something. In fact, in some ways I was more productive than I am at home. Funny how that works, huh?

By the time Heather arrived for my last few days there, I was ready for companionship and loved our conversations and outings. But after she left, I could have easily returned to my porch perch for another week or two of designing and writing all by my self.

I was actually a little bit relieved to feel this way. Sometimes, in my normal life, I fear I am too dependent on the company of friends. I wonder if I'm capable of happiness completely on my own. So there was a little bit of pride and pleasure in discovering that yes, I am okay all by myself.

That said, my time alone also proved another thing: I love my friends. Adore them, really. I missed all of my Detroit people an awful lot. (Thanks for the nice long-distance phone chats!)

So packing was bittersweet. And if I wasn't rushing (as I always am) to clean up and catch my plane, my departure might have hit me harder.

But now I am onto Summer Camp Part II: The Homeland. Some QT with family before returning to Michigan. (A nice segue back to reality, too.)

As my plane lifted off the runway, I scribbled in my notebook:

Farewell clean, chill air
Green everywhere
"The City That Works"
You worked for me.
You're not my home
(But that was the point)
Camp is a luxury
(Don't think I don't know that).
But everything I learned
Every meal I burned
I will carry it all home...

Parks > Parking

Peninsula Park in NE Portland, just a short walk from my sister's home. Gorgeous rose gardens, beautiful fountains, great public playground and pool. As Heather & I were here basking in the sun on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I was hoping Detroit had figured out a way to preserve the Parks & Recreation budget. City parks are so important. Do I even have to explain why? (Nah, probably not.)

The Century of the Self

Just finished watching the first part of this British documentary series, and it's totally fascinating. I especially love the story behind getting women to smoke. And selling self-expression through fashion.

Speaking of fashion, did you realize the fashion industry is copyright-free? I guess I'd never really thought about it, but it makes sense. Anyway, this is an interesting talk by Johanna Blakley on the benefits of fashion's free culture, and how other creative industries like music and software might learn from its openness.

Slow City

"Even sex is on a stopwatch these days. I like a quickie as much as the next person, but there's an awful lot to be gained from slowing down."
-Carl Honore

I just watched this really great talk by Carl Honore about our need to slow down. Of course I knew about the Slow Food Movement, but I must have missed articles on similar movements for Sex and Cities. I even bought the "Slow" issue of Good Magazine earlier this year, and it still passed me by. [Insert slow joke here.]

Anyway, maybe everyone but me already knows there's this whole Cittaslow movement that started in Italy in 1999. Super intrigued by this -- especially in my "stop-and-smell-the-roses" camp mode -- so I looked it up:

"The main goal of Cittaslow is to enlarge the philosophy of Slow Food to local communities and to government of towns, applying the concepts of ecogastronomy at practice of everyday life. Municipalities which join the association are motivated by curious people of a recovered time, where man is still protagonist of the slow and healthy succession of seasons, respectful of citizens’ health, the authenticity of products and good food, rich of fascinating craft traditions of valuable works of art, squares, theaters, shops, cafés, restaurants, places of the spirit and unspoiled landscapes, characterized by spontaneity of religious rites, respect of traditions through the joy of a slow and quiet living."

(I like how they took their time with that last sentence there.)

Hmm. Who do I know who might be interested in this....

Hey Phillip Cooley, wanna start a local Detroit Cittaslow chapter? It would have to just be a small part of downtown, because I think you gotta have fewer than 50,000 residents to join. But really, seeing as the U.S. movement is headquartered in...wait for it...Sonoma Valley (of course, right?), I think they really NEED us. We can make this SO much cooler than a bunch of old white wine drinkers ever could. (And by white I mean the drinkers, not the wine. I'm sure some of those folks prefer a nice merlot or cabernet.)

Plus Phil, I know you need another Detroit project. So think about it...and take your time. Really, no rush.

I really like the Cittaslow mission. I'm ALL about "authenticity" and "unspoiled landscapes." Really, I'm pretty much for anything the Italians do when it comes to food, fashion & architecture. Plus, it seems to go hand-in-hand with Transition U.S. and BALLE and other good pro-local movements.

But there has to be a balance between local and global, slow and fast. I like Tuscan villages, but I also like super energetic and dynamic places like New York and London and Toronto. In fact, often I find that a beautiful cathedral or park is made even more serene and spiritual by its proximity to the hum of commercial activity. Too sleepy, and you lose that verve and vitality, ya know? Cities gotta have some contrast and diversity, or they're just...

{yawn}

(This reminds me, another way city planning gurus describe "yawn" is with an acronym: "PMS" (Pale, Male & Stale). It's the trilogy of uncreative places, they say. For the record, I think the old men of Tuscany & Sonoma are usually pretty tan from hanging out in their vineyards, so I'm not sure they qualify.)

Speaking of slow, lately I've been growing super impatient with the glacial speed of change in Detroit. I've found myself thinking (or worse, saying): "For god sakes, can we pick up the pace, people?" What I'm talking about is not really daily living -- more the collective, civic doing. Like how long have we been talking about the need for a light rail system? Can we please get that M1 line built already? Because the waiting is making me batty. Andale!

But all this Slow Movement stuff reminds me there may be a bright side to inertia. Maybe we have a better chance in Detroit of growing neighborhoods and businesses slowly & organically? Maybe we can avoid those boom-&-bust trends that other more "popular" places experience?

This came up in a long chat I had recently with a professor from Austin, TX who came to Detroit to study community change & the media. Austin, like Portland, is one of those poster kids for "creative cities," but he said it might have jumped the shark. Detroit, he claimed, was far more interesting.

Yeah. Interesting, for sure. Healthy? Nuh-uh. No way.

It would be the WORST injustice to the people of Detroit if we stopped pushing impatiently for creativity and prosperity (via public amenities like transit) because we're concerned we might get "too cool" or something. Like it always really kills me when hipsters suggest Detroit is awesome just the way it is. Try telling that to a DPS kid. Or a working mother without a car.

Hmm, maybe Detroit is not quite ready for the Slow Movement just yet. Maybe we need to get our heart rate up a little before we can slow it back down again.

Anyway, here's the video that got me thinkin' about all this:

Storytelling

"Don't tell people how to live their lives. Just tell them stories. 

They can figure out how to apply the stories to their lives."

-Randy Pausch

I am obsessed with good storytelling lately. Can't get enough of The Moth or This American Life or old Def Poetry Jam videos. Love the StoryCorps project. Love political satire and stand-up comedy, too.

I'm already in awe of people who can write good stories and poems and lyrics. But to also have the gift of speaking these words powerfully is a whole 'nother level of awesome. Sarah Jones and Anna Deveare Smith come to mind. David Sedaris and Dan Savage aren't too shabby either. I've always been ga-ga over the great folk songwriters. Sometimes I listen to Common and Mos Def, but I could use more hip hop in my life.

(Oh my god, Dan Savage's story about his mother had me in tears in a parked car on a beautiful spring day. I just dug it up again, and yup, still good. You can listen here, at the 37:47 mark.)

I think this talk by Carmen Agra Deedy (also, incidentally, about her mother) so beautifully illustrates the importance of good storytelling. Just her voice alone is intoxicating. I could listen to her for hours.

I aspire to be a good storyteller someday. This is a pretty big aspiration. I can't even tell a good joke. But I do so love words and conversation. I'm a Gemini, after all. Maybe if I practice...

Happiness

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." -Mohandas Gandhi

"No sane man can be happy. For to him life is real, and he sees what a fearful thing it is. Only the mad can be happy, and not many of those." -Mark Twain

I've been thinking a lot about this whole idea of happiness. Mostly how people define and measure it, I guess. And whether it should be a pursuit or, like Eleanor Roosevelt suggested, a by-product. Happiness just sorta happens when you live the right way.

I come from a happy people. My parents and siblings smile big, hug tight and choose not to dwell in darkness for too long. Me, I gravitate towards light, but I also see beauty and utility in the shadows. After all, isn't this where great art and ideas come from? How many poets and painters do you know who are "happy"?*

Two questions for today:

1) What people are most predisposed to true happiness? Himalayan goat herders or retired Silicon Valley execs? Intellectually, I know it can belong to both priests and pole dancers if their hearts are right. But sometimes it seems like a privilege for a fortunate few. Nice work if you can get it, but elusive and unavailable to most. Plus, the modern world and true happiness don't appear to co-exist all that well, as hard as we Westerners work to sell and consume it. How can we seek but not chase or crush?

2) Under what conditions does happiness flourish? Some say pleasure and comfort, others poverty and purity. Since I'm interested in place and design, I'm curious about what kinds of spaces and experiences nurture happiness. Or, if happiness dwells within us, are environmental factors largely irrelevant?

Here's why I think place matters:

1) BEAUTY makes us happy.

2) PEOPLE make us happy.

We're social creatures by nature. We need a connection to other human beings. We also need beauty. Natural or man-made. Cascading waterfalls or art deco skyscrapers. Either/or, but ideally both.

When I think about it, I am happiest in places that value beauty and humanity. I want this for Detroit -- to really, truly value these things. Every time we build another ugly strip mall or demolish a beautiful building or close a park, I wonder if we do. I wonder why we feel like we don't deserve happiness. Is it because we're poor? Is it because when you're just trying to survive, happiness seems a luxury?

We need a mindset reset pronto. We need to value ourselves a little bit more.

I already posted one good video about happiness by Chip Conley. Below is another fascinating one by Nancy Etcof. Two other favorites about the importance of beauty and place are by James Howard Kunstler and Bill Strickland. Enjoy.

"The Surprising Science of Happiness"
by Nancy Etcof at TED (19:43)

*Elizabeth Gilbert has some interesting things to say about how creativity and mental health need not be mutually exclusive. Yet another good TED talk.

Family Love

Oh, how I love my family. This video by my talented brother Dylan makes me all misty-eyed. Almost makes me want to sing "God Bless America."

http://gallery.me.com/dln13/100097

Cast of Characters: The Blonde: Eloise. The Redhead: Millie Bea. The Hot Mama: Kelly. The Dude with the Scally Cap Going Down the Slide: My Awesome Father.

Food for the Soul

Lest you think all I'm doing here is cooking & eating, I should probably share some other forms of nourishment.

One of my favorite healthy snacks is TED. Here's one really inspiring talk I watched today by Chip Conley. The title is "Measuring What Makes Life Worthwhile."

I love the whole idea of TED. Wish I had thought of it myself. For those who aren't familiar, it started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment and Design. Since then, its scope has broadened and now there are three annual conferences as well as satellite TEDx programs in other cities. These conferences bring together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Over 700 talks are available for FREE (cheaper than cable TV!) on their website at Ted.com.

I check the TED site once in awhile to watch talks on my favorite topics -- art, architecture, design, cities, the environment, culture, etc. While Summer Camp is in session, I will try to stretch other brain muscles. Maybe even queue up a science talk. Well, that may be pushing it.