Dear Tara

Hi Tara,

I was thinking of you when I decided to check out your blog. I really resonated with what you wrote about proverty, jobs, and rethinking the 'economy.'

 

I hardly spent time online in 2013. I spent a five-month stint cooking vibrant vegetarian meals for a former landlord of mine who's recovering from cancer that really got me deeper into the tactile, sensory, people-centered world around me (I'm now in New Orleans, but was about to head to Bay Area for 2-3 months soon--if anyone you think I ought to connect with let me know.)... I'm slowing dipping my toes back in the virtual waters. (To rest of you: mention this as it gave me added perspective as I do not put Internet or computer industry on a pedestal even though I have worked in those industries all my life since my first part-time job working my way through college coding assembly language for a heart pacemaker company back in the 80s.)

 

Anyhow, I gave you the wrong link in my comments, as that one is a page that's still a work in progress. Just as well, as that page I'm working on taking the "Silicon Valley" attitude of faith in pursuing our heart's delight (old name for the region/Santa Clara Valley was Valley of Heart's Delight which was also a nod to the fruit orchards' heritage) into new territory. I'm pretty utopian--so I was hoping to gather together in small groups where people could be allowed to be outrageous and voice pie-in-the-sky visions with no holds barred... fantasizing, being honest about their deepest talents and real hopes; and then see if we can expand into an 'ecosystem' slowly or organically from these gatherings and their current networks to achieve the vision(s).

 

I'd love people to envision collective visions for their community, their regions, their world. Many engineers (maybe I can get away with saying this because I was once one of those types of computer engineer) are myopic and don't see their surroundings--including the natural environment or their neighbors as their wheels are often turning writing some algorithm in their head rather than observing the current scene and scenario. I feel part of the real issue with the Google bus protests (and related) is that the rest of the world is invisible when you are walled in the S.V. bubble.... so can we expand and widen the vision to include other folks in the vicinity with the noblest, considerate intentions to include them in our fold, in our vision for a beautiful, harmonious world of well-being? 

 

I'm also working on "youth incubator" (it may be more a pop-up than a permanent coworking space that might feel more like WineCamp in terms of adhoc, open-ended, burningissues-based structure and beautiful, outdoor settings) for the unemployed and underemployed primarily (not exclusively) targeted for those under 30 to work on their personal and collective visions in a small group setting. The word "incubator" carries a particular connotation in S.V. --it's not necessarily nursing Internet and mobile dreams alone because my intention is to draw forth a unique individual's authentic enthusiasm and gifts despite what we're societally programmed to believe is fundable or feasible.

 

Plus fleshing out and crystalling a six-week summer program in Andalusia, Spain and a six-week program in Silicon Valley for international youth and young at heart. The idea is really to come up and play with "generative" ventures and ideas so that the ideas not only help the individual in one instance -- metaphorically speaking closer to a tree that keeps bearing fruit year after year (that could mean enabling other people to be creators and contributors to society, cultivating storydwelling storyworlds, platforms and/or tools for ecosystems of support, generating income for others, providing skills, apprentices, jobs for others, etc).

 

Originally tempted to go to Greece, Spain, Italy and Ireland to see if they were having any success with alternative economies and ideas since their unemployment is so much worse. Sometimes in desperate situations people can come up with innovative solutions that break away from status quo, for example, the Worgl, Austria currency experiment during the Great Depression. Now though I'm doing one step at time--planning on going to Spain this summer and engage the local youth. The president of the province/zone I'm going to in Spain just accepted 9M euro for incubators/coworking spaces etc (but it's in my eyes still too much mimicry of S.V. VC-centric model that doesn't always work as a formula). 

 

Let me know if you have interest in being involved... come to Spain with us?--etc. I know you are in Toronto, but I just want you to know you are welcomed and invited. I see myself more of a world citizen than USA-centric and want to begin to write in a way that's more inclusive of nationalities, points of view, cultures, faiths, etc.

 

Probably should stop writing as this is not as compelling and exciting as what's dancing in my head, and should let it lie fallow now and re-write it soon. 

 

Hugs,
Evelyn

 

p.s./ Aside: It's strange writing this as an open letter as I find myself talking with a more formal, restrained voice than is true for me in RL--also speaks volumes about how much the Internet culture has changed as I used to speak so much more openly, more transparently online than offline because I was NOT face to face with a real person,  but it's now the fashion is a polished and mass media broadcast voice and this tendency to replicate that magazine column voice. Alas, just another way to tone down our uniqueness.... 

 

Plus this one's not a blog post, it's more like a river--so expect this page to change, shift channels, tumble through wild rapids or be even empty out into the sea... many possibiilities but it won't be dammed.