I thought the transition of going from rural Wisconsin to the metropolis of Los Angeles would be abrupt. Nevertheless, the transition from being super busy all the time, to not having a whole lot to do all the time has been tougher than I expected. I mean, I can be so task oriented that not having a lot to do can be, dare I say, stressful. I do anticipate that this peaceful interlude will break into a new chorus in the proper timing. Tutoring will start up according to Larry, "when the kids figure out that they are falling behind in their classes" (aka October-ish) and hopefully I find out about a job that I applied for at a bike shop tomorrow (fingers crossed).
A lot of my thoughts have been centered around one word, 'community'. What does it mean to have authentic community? How does one create community? Where exactly do I fit in in a church community that doesn't look all that much like me? Do I attend 'Reality LA' a church that would be predominately white and outside the neighborhood or do I get involved in a church right here. The sense of community within Hollenbeck House started out strong with us checking a number of items off of our 'explorations' and expeditions' checklist (aka sites, cultural experiences, and restaurants). We have weekly meetings every Sunday night to bring everyone together if nothing else.
The house we live in is being constantly renewed. The goal that Larry has for the house is that it would be a place where people from the neighborhood would like to come and to hang out. Therefore the money that we spent on rent is going toward the 'pool fund.' The backyard right now is comprised a few fruit trees yielding figs and passion fruit with the majority of the yard being dirt where the pool soon will passionately pit itself. I have had the opportunity to take a 16 lb. sledgehammer and break up portions of the cement walkway that used traverse the yard. Combined with the pull-up bars that I have set up in the front yard, push-ups and sit-ups in the front yard I have a whole workout routine...and that is just at home.
I have done some personal explorations to the various parks around town too. In the world of triathlons a workout that combines running and biking is called a brick workout (possibly because your legs start to feel like bricks). I have done a modified version of this workout; I will bike to a park, run there and then bike back home. Of course I lock my bike up at the park, wear a helmet, and use caution while riding. The view! Let me tell you about it, Ernest C. Debs Park had one of my favorite views. I wish I could share but it is difficult to take a camera on runs. The mountains of Pasadena and the peaks of the high rise buildings of downtown come together at sunset in a harmonic mix of hues and shades.
I got to chat with Tri Truong, who is the head of the BAM (Business as Mission) tract of Transform LA. A wise and well seasoned business man, he had a lot of good advice for an aspiring entrepreneur and BAM wannabe. He left me with three key words of advice: network, teamwork and trust. Maybe if I rearrange the order of the words then we are left with the explosive acronym of TNT. Combine that with BAM and what are you left with?...hmmm...a mess? But as far as my involvement in TLA he said to come to him with a business proposal and maybe I could get some funding.
Speaking of funding, I got to go and play soccer yesterday with Jeff and some latino teens in Pico/Union. Pico is another neighborhood maybe four miles from Boyle Heights with similar demographics. We played soccer in a local park that was triangle shaped, had palm trees and boulders, potholes and sprinklers, and was definitely not designed for futbol. We played hard for nearly three hours and then went to a taco truck for a post-game snack. I got called David Beckham, but I didn't take it personally because that is what every gringo gets called when they join in the latino games. In these parts, the pale complexion stands out like Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.
High: Getting to do all the things I couldn't do while I was running cross country and track.
Low: Not getting to race with the team.
Next blog entry: Random, Small World, and Divine Appointments
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