I\u2019ve always considered myself a builder. Not necessarily in the carpenter sense of the word (if I\u2019m wielding a hammer, watch out), but more so that I\u2019d rather see the construction of things rather than their destruction. I don\u2019t think this view point is particularly disagreeable nor that uncommon, and it makes sense to me that given the option between helping to build a green house or tear up weeds at the William Byrd House Farmlet, I chose the former.<\/p>\n
It felt good to volunteer my time and I think the combination between being off campus, hanging out with Lodgers, and actually doing something productive with my Saturday morning for once helped cultivate this feeling. In truth, it felt more than good. At the risk of sounding like an ideological 20 year old after completing only four hours of community service, it felt refreshing to be alive. In campus culture it is easy to lose yourself in events and questions that are too affecting of your own life\u2014who I\u2019m going to see today, what\u2019s for dinner, where my friends are, when is my next meeting, how much homework I have.<\/p>\n
Why?<\/p>\n
This type of life style is unsustainable for the inquisitive mind. Focusing so much on the self and personal development will paradoxically end up stifling that very progress by confining your view of the world to the narrowest of lenses. I\u2019m beginning to see that it is of utmost importance to keep an open mind and experience how the world actually functions, not just inside this little bubble.<\/p>\n
Certainly a balance can be reached.<\/p>\n
While Carolyn and I were prepping and cataloguing building materials for the green house, our friend Mathew dropped some knowledge on us that definitely widened my blinders and disillusioned me to the greater Richmond area. Although we were building this green house for the benefit of the greater community, we needed to be cautious of what windows (e.g. the expensive unique ones) we used on what parts of the green house because the threat of vandalism was very real.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t occur to me that some people might contravene with what we were trying to accomplish at the Farmlet. This is a community center, one that has been designed and run for the benefit of the surrounding neighborhoods and it didn\u2019t make sense to me why this would be the target of vandalism. That said, I\u2019m a builder\u2014I don\u2019t think I\u2019m able to understand breaking something just because. Mathew\u2019s point was very poignant and struck a chord with me; is our work appreciated and who is it for? How much can we enhance the community in a mere four hours of work if one stone can set it back more?<\/p>\n
Bubble popping in our own back yard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019ve always considered myself a builder. Not necessarily in the carpenter sense of the word (if I\u2019m wielding a hammer, watch out), but more so that I\u2019d rather see the construction of things rather than their destruction. I don\u2019t think … Continue reading