By Brian Skeele, on May 27th, 2011
I woke up this morning, freaking out. Doubting myself…I’ve oversold the opportunity…I’m proposing this community organizing path around a sustainable neighborhood demonstration site, and there is no funding.
It’s like I’m organizing a road trip and have enough money to get to Lubbock. I need to ask my fellow travelers if they’ll chip in before we head out to New York.
The other thing that comes to my mind is this sign I’ve seen on the wall at local businesses…
“We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything, with nothing.”
So I sat myself down and mapped the road ahead, and figured out when the money needs to show up. I’ve been bootstrapping it out of pocket, but there comes a time for dinero….
“What” you might be saying, “is he talking about…specifically?!!”…
I have this over riding passion for really wonderful neighborhood. The place is full of life, nature is overflowing, people are pursuing their dreams, there’s lots of laughter, and beauty. And the whole community is living lightly on the planet.
After decades of hearing me talk about it, giving “Designing Sustainable Neighborhood Workshops”, and generally convincing myself I’m not alone, I want to move into one. The problem is they don’t exist. Well they do…inside my head and heart. But I want a real one.
In Santa Fe, we have this street, St Michaels Drive, that people seem to think is ripe to be renovated. I’m like “Hey, let’s make it a showcase of a deeply sustainable lifestyle!!!!
That is the pot of gold I’m bemoaning about. What if …!! But what…!!
This is not one of those build it and they will come schemes… that is so Iowa corn fields 1990’s. What I’m talking about is find the Boomers that want a simpler walkable lifestyle that lives lighter on the planet, and the Millennials that want a vibrant alive urban environment that doesn’t need a car, and the 9000 locals who are currently commuting to Santa Fe because the cost of housing is so high here, and get them to design their future neighborhood…sustainable, get qualified, and move in!!!
There is a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow, and it’s not just money.
I’m putting the map together on how to get there. I could sell it on Ebay! Actually, I want YOU to join in, and help with the design. Together, we can make it sustainable!
Next week….the map!!!