Since returning from my month-long adventure earlier this week, I have had trouble getting my head back in the game. I have made silly mistakes and struggled to stay focused (both more than usual).

Everyone I spoke to on Friday had a similar experience when they returned home to their standard routine.

We each have unconscious, established habits that are largely thrown out the window when on vacation. Then, when we return, it is as if our brains and bodies need to get synced back up to our old "normal." For some, it takes a few days - for others (me), it will take longer.

It has not helped my case that after a month of not thinking (obsessing) about DRC (beyond the basics) - I have necessarily been tossed back into the fray.

Therefore, if you see a glazed look on my face and notice that I am having difficulty gathering my words into cohesive sentences over the next few weeks (again, even more than usual, it is only because the shock has not worn off yet. In addition, my brain keeps churning out more and more ideas while I am still catching up with all the many things that need doing this time of year - plus organizing a Craft Fair/Family Fun Day.

For those of you right here with me - I see you.

This one is a quick post at the tail end of my summer adventure to document some observations I made this evening while sitting on the beach in southern Michigan.

I am a people watcher. It has been a favorite pastime since I was young. No matter where I am - I settle in to watch and listen (eavesdrop). The one thing that I have noticed increasingly over the past 15-20 years is that kids are less and less likely allowed to be kids.

While eating a picnic supper, I sat on a rock listening to a parent hassle and berate her children while they climbed on the rock jetty. These kiddos wore life vests, and the rocks were large and flat - like stepping stones. I sat there silently, wishing she would simply hush and let them follow their interests, curiosity, and excitement into the crevices, nooks, and crannies of the giant stones. I was saddened beyond words - in that moment their natural desire for exploration and discovery, along with the unending energy of childhood, was thwarted.

Therefore, I was heartened to see, as I walked back along the lake edge to the parking lot, a young boy (9-10 years old) all by himself, digging a hole and collecting seagull feathers of varying sizes to place very precisely and carefully in his creation as the water lapped at his feet. Was it pure art or some other imaginative creation with a specific purpose? I will never know. But that child will have that experience to call upon his entire life.

Next week, I will be back in the proverbial saddle. I heard that the sewer line project was started. I don't have any details - those will have to wait till next Sunday.

Last Sunday, after a fun day in the sun at the Lincoln Park Zoo and the beach, my son brought me to lunch and nervously approached me about the 4-day drive I had planned from Chicago to Portland.

He presented all the facts - things I had been mulling over silently for a day or so when I realized that each driving day would be at least nine hours. And that I would have to turn around a week later to do it again.

Even though the task seemed daunting - I was not even considering an alternative - until he brought it up. He created the opening for me to say (inside my head) - "What in the hell am I thinking?"

Honestly, I don't think he believed I would capitulate so easily. The flight was booked upon returning to his apartment that afternoon.

Sometimes, we need the options spelled out explicitly before we can see them as possibilities. And occasionally, we need the reminder that there is no harm or shame in pulling back from an original plan and switching gears mid-stream. Thanks for creating that space for me to do all that, "kiddo" #1.
 
*I will be flying back to Chicago next Saturday; therefore, there will likely not be a Blog Post next week - unless I am inspired midweek to write.

Mount Hood as we approached PDX and Luna "the adorable"

Thank you!
We are delighted to announce that the Cloudsplitter Foundation funded one-half of the sewer line repair project from their Rapid Response Grant with a $5000 check.

That, along with the $2000 from the Canton Community Fund and the $650 in donations, allows the project to begin. The contractor is hoping to start this coming week.

Summer Program

We had been holding off on promoting the summer program, not knowing if the sewer line would be fixed. Knowing it will be - we can now accept registrations. Find the sign-up form here.

Craft Fair
We are still looking for vendors and food trucks for our craft fair. Registration is here.

Last weekend, I was with several folks (my Peeps) at the Liberated Learners conference. Even though we all belong to the network and subscribe to the same philosophy, every single Center in the network is unique. The most significant variable determining that difference is that we serve a different demographic. In some cases (DRC), wildly different.

Most Liberated Learners Centers are in urban or suburban communities that encounter challenges that require contrasting solutions to what DRC faces with our rural population. This means our messaging within each of those individual communities needs to vary significantly.

Therefore, when asked what DRC's central message is, I immediately said, "safety."  DRC is a safe place for everyone - no matter your gig. Because I often hear that many kids and their parents do not/did not feel secure in their current/former educational environment, it is the most fundamentally human yet profound benefit we can offer.

To put it plainly - if you do not feel safe (emotionally or physically) - you can not learn.

What other concepts should we include in our future messaging?
I have used - flexibility, kindness, supporting curiosity & creativity, and all-inclusive. What am I missing - what do we offer that is unique to the community we serve?

Comment on this blog post or send your thoughts to me directly.

Thank you!

Summer Travel

I am currently in Chicago with my son and his wife. I will leave for the next part of the adventure next Tuesday to arrive in Portland next Friday. You may receive a post next week - depending on energy levels, time, and inspiration.  Again - no promises...

I went rogue (ignored Google Maps Lady) to find a beach on Lake Erie after spending 6 hours driving and before selecting a place to stay on Monday. Despite being an obviously economically depressed area, the town had a very cool library on the beach. They were hosting a beach play time with pails, shovels, and beach toys that kids signed out.  One small child looked at me and asked "Did you make your hair blue?"  My response was, "Yes, yes I did!" His mom looked mortified - but it totally made my day. Kids - being kids - asking questions cause they are genuinely curious.

Penny Lane was happy to greet me on Tuesday when I arrived at my son and daughter-in-law's place in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago.

The fireworks have been intense - but I always enjoy my time in the city. Something folks are often surprised to hear, considering I regularly spend a good portion of my time off-grid in the woods.