become more active in my community

My area has a million ways to participate in civic life, and I feel like I would enjoy making that part of my life.

I’m not sure where to start, but I’m sure I’ll thing of something.

I am using hebrew to understand the bible better in the future ..

I’m on the board of directors for one non-profit (focused on preventing domestic violence and substance abuse in women) and on the gala committee for another (the GLBT youth center). And, in a decidedly different interpretation of this goal, I’ve started placing regular calls to the Parking Authority to complain about the douchebag who parks illegally on my street every day, blocking traffic. Hey, if it convinces him to move his stupid Mercedes somewhere else, I’m improving life for all of us who live there.

i tried shopping at a locally owned market, but i just don’t know that i can do that. For a tenth of what was on my list (to get us through three weeks) I spent $48… At a chain grocery store like Kroger (I REFUSE to shop at walmart) I could have gotten everything for $100…

Should i feel guilty that this just won’t work?

I have joined one committee in Urban League.

I attended 2 Urban League meetings this week and plan on joining a few committees.

i ordered 100 pamphlets today so i could start handing them out at my university. emailed about an environmental organization on campus to see if they have anything going on that i could participate in. also, i should have more weekends off this summer to volunteer at the animal shelter :)

I went today and volunteered for a few hours at an animal shelter. Getting to play with all the cats and some puppies was a lot of fun. At one point I had five different cats crawling all over me, demanding attention. Pretty nice :)

I hope to keep going back on a regular basis, as often as my already-crazy work and school schedule will allow. I should at least be able to go every other Friday since I get it off from work (or at least, I’m supposed to). Once it is warmer, they will let the puppies out more for exercise. I also want to help them with their website, they are so swamped that some of the animals don’t have pictures up and that would be a big help with getting them adopted. Also going to make some fliers up to put various places.

Yesterday morning my email account was bombarded with emails from different sources announcing a community meeting we needed to attend because there would be some changes to our community that we might not like. New developments being built that would most likely displace the residents of my neighborhood… the neighborhood I’ve grown to love and care for because of it’s heritage, it’s diversity, it’s appreciation of arts, music, poetry… life! My neighborhood is Pilsen in Chicago.

As a music lover I am completely submerged within the local community of musicians and bands and through that my circle expands to local artists (painters, sculpters, dancers, poets, etc), activists, non-conformists, out-of-the-box thinkers, shakers, movers, etc.

Well, at least that’s what I thought.

Yesterday morning as I read this invitation to go and show our support of allowing our community to preserve our heritage I was thinking that I might not make it because I get out of work late, I was tired, I wasn’t in the mood and well, maybe it wouldn’t be worth it. I had many excuses. Yet the more I saw how many people were forwarding this notice and how often it was posted here in myspace, I knew I had to go and show my support. I had to show my concern for this neighborhood I claim to love. The support I was receiving by having others acknowledge there was a problem (those that re-posted this invite and made others aware) gave me that little extra push to show up. I would be there, next to my neighbors, in opposition of gentrification.

My friend David and I showed up to the location, saw the protest signs outside the building, the dozens and dozens of cars parked all around and inhaled with pride at what we saw before we even stepped inside. We also saw camera crews, more people arriving and the obvious police security ready for any sort of problem that might arise. I smiled and thought…”Yes. I’m so glad I rushed home from work to get here even though I’m a little late.”

As David and I walked in we were happily surprised to see so many people there. It was crowded! Yes! And as the night progressed and the cheers FOR this new development outcheered our few cries of protest I knew something had gone wrong. Our fellow “activists” had not shown up. If I saw a familiar face it wasn’t one of those that I hang out with and talk politics and change with.

What a dissappointment.

My concern now (after a long night of restless sleep disturbed repeatedly by visions of protest signs with nothing on them) is how I, one person against thousands, can do to move forward and not allow this to stop my belief in the preservation of this mecca of Mexican art and culture. How do I gather those few people who cared enough to show up? Their dissappointment possibly far greater than mine?

At this point, I guess it’s a matter of outsourcing. I must make a call to those outside of my own community and make them aware of what’s going on.

Maybe then, when those on the inside see the concern from those of the outside, will they wake up and try to save their own homes.

All I know now is that my own actions will speak far greater than my words.

The way I look at it, everyone has a bit of time they could invest into their community. This is the place you live in after all. It’s much easier to participate and facilitate change than it is to continually complain about needing change.