I am enjoying the movement of the project.  The direction feels right.  It feels aligned.  I am being drawn back into the field of education and it has all happened so serenidipitously.  

I have been working with youth again, and this time it is more focused.  Focused on them personally.  The activities are based in relationship, and focused on the individual processes of development.  I am starting to see the building of the internal structure that I know is what we should be focused on in education.  All of the research is coming back into the conversation in a way it can be not just a theoretical study, but a validated truth.

I am calling back in all those amazing researchers I have loved so much.  Most recently I am digging into the work of Yong Zhao, primarily because of the interests of one of the young people I have had the chance to work with.  It came out of her interest,and reminded me of the power of teaching entrepreneurialism. 

I will write more on Yong Zhao later, or maybe in a blog on the Creative Curriculum site (link here)  

What I have been meditating on lately as I realize I have been following a path not really designed for me (although designed by me) is Why?  Why did I spend so much time trying to build a community center?  What was this detour all about?  

It definitely was a wild ride.  When I look at all we did. I mean the Sober Living alone was a lot. Two transitional housing locations and more than 20 girls (and one guy) having come through our doors.  The Community House with all its 12 step meetings (9 meetings a week)  biweekly Yoga classes, a weekly Women's Group, a worship service.  Then there was the youth programming and events not to mention The Art Garage every Friday! It was a huge undertaking.  I ask myself now, what was I thinking???  No wonder I am tired.

What came out of it.

I met some amazing people.  I connected to real community.  I built something beautiful. 

It was an outline of what could have been, but it impacted the neighborhood.  Who knows the ripples it created.  For one, the houses are now beautiful and lived in.  Before that, the two primary homes had not been lived in for 10 years. From what I was told by the unofficial neighborhood watch, they had been used by addicts to turn tricks.  The neighbor loved the irony that they were being used to help people get sober.  God is good that way.  I shared the other day about the crew of neighborhood kids who have a tight bond, and have ways of connecting that do not revolve around drugs and fighting.  There are a few of the adults who have connected through us.  Those who are anchors for true neighborliness in the community.  I really don't know what the impact of my efforts have been.  It was so incredibly hard, and to me it often felt like so much failure.  But when I meditate on the big picture, I believe it was something more.

The word Benediction has stuck in my mind, and for the life of me I really don't know much about benediction.  
At first I thought it might be like initiation.  I know there have been many times in my own experience that I had to go through a sort of initiation period in a space that was challenging to see if I could cut the mustard.  But this experience was different.  I never experienced a plateau.  It just kept expanding and it seemed there were such greater heights for everything.  The entire project (as I called it) was the experience.

A benediction.
A blessing.
Solemnly blessing and formally dedicating to God.

So let it be that.  I do dedicate this work to God's goodness.  It was the way God intended.  A gift of kindness and charity, and hopefully it will leave a positive lasting imprint for those whose lives it touched.

This is being written post-event.  I am really in a transition and feeling the pangs of uncertainty and the resistance to letting go of something that is no longer aligned with the vision.  We had the usual BBQ and Tie-Dye since the Art Garage fell on the 3rd of July.  Usually these events would bring out all the neighborhood kids, who were looking to celebrate something and didn't have anywhere to really do so.

The Art Garage was in its inception an organic gathering of neighborhood kids.  I never advertised.  It wasn't on FaceBook.  In the beginning there wasn't even a set schedule of activities.  The kids just showed up.  They told each other about it, and they came and went as they pleased.  Over the years, it became more formalized.  Activities were planned, and the time was set, but there were always informal events, and there were always options to do other activites.

Now having switched locations, everything is different.  The feeling is different.  The location is in a business, not a house.  It is surrounded by businesses, not homes with kids.  Bottom line, I need a different approach.

So the plan is to become more of a clubhouse.  I have already started some homeschooling here, and it is quite successful.  It is amazing in fact.  To take those who are so sick of school and see them get excited to learn again.  To realize that no one will force them, but they can explore their interests and be supported in that path.  It is really what I am meant to do.  So what about the Art Garage?

I think it has to go on the back-burner for a moment.  I am feeling the call to create something more structured, or singleness of purpose.  Like a youth club. It will have to be loosely formalized. It will have to have a set time, and a set limited group of kids.  It should have a general age range.  All of these will be a new challenge for me.

I already have a few ideas, new challenges are good.