reluctant ramblings

Then they wouldn’t get badgered by their parents to wash their hands so much. Bypass the middle …umm… finger…

I sit here most days to work. I know, lucky bugger. If you look closely, you can see that this is the view from my lap, across the laptop, out to the southern view from my lounge-room. Working from a home office is a gift some days. Every morning there are kangaroos and two highland cattle (Hamish and Haggis) eating their breakfast 5 metres from the glass.

(Deep breath)

I’m opening the blog up to the big bad world. I think I might be secure enough for that!

Actually, I’ve decided that “online” is a significant part of my context (see below). I can’t keep my corner of it private forever. It’s supposed to be more fun when its open anyway! And, as Cheryl said to me, I’m not writing for an audience, I’m writing for me!

<end self indulgent post…>

Hospitality

Approximately 40% of Healesville’s working population is employed in the wine and hospitality industries. The current total population is 10,000.

We started here (for a very short time) nearly 5 years ago. Our return this year has surprised a few, none more than us.

Innocent Bystander

Also called Giant Steps. We go here 3 times as often as we go to church. It’s a more spiritual home than church. Great people, a place I’m comfortable to take anyone, and a space that encourages interesting and open conversation. Its definitely part of my context.

Oh, and fantastic coffee.

I’m really not a natural blogger.

This came as quite a shock. For several years now I’ve been teaching others how to blog, divulging the secrets of successful blogs, and tweaking blog strategies for all and sundry. Turns out its harder than I make it sound. And you know what? It’s nothing technical or artistic. Its the raw, personal and vulnerable nature of blogging that makes it difficult.

I took to RedBubble easily - http://www.redbubble.com/people/rfbfmike - check it out.

But pure blogging is proving much harder for me than I expected. So, bear with me. We’ll see how we go. I’ll diligently apply all the tricks I’ve espoused to the 77 sucessful bloggers I currently coach, and we’ll see how we go!

I think my focus for this jaunt has a title. Context.

I think I’ll be looking to put everything in context, to study context, and evaluate against my own context. This should be fun. Of course it now means I have only 4 weeks or so to discover what my own context is.

I’ll start by photographing it and talking to selected co-dwellers of my own context - that’s my approach for the time in the UK too, except that the key conversations are pre-determined.

This could be fun.

Audio-iChatted with Rod this morning.
As always, got my thinking bone prodded.

Mental notes:

• Remember to watch the Kristin Johnstadt DVD - for trouble-shooting intentional communities.
• Look into back-story for formation. All very interesting.
• What was I thinking that got me here?
• What were we each thinking at the beginning of this?
• What got me here?
• Is there a common thread?

I think thats about 10% of the conversation…

I know from talking with others that a common answer to “what got me here” is described as a lasting dissatisfaction with the church, however I think its also safe to say that knowing what we don’t want is not a long term recipe for community health and growth.

All very interesting…

My pre-travel thinking has been dominated with the deep search for a theme. Something to deliberately look for, something to guide the way I look at things, and something to shape the way I photograph things.

I run the risk of over-thinking, I know. But if it all gets turned upside down, then thats good too. I’m really documenting all my assumptions, totally preparing to give them up. I’m asking “what am I expecting to see” as a point of reference.

I may or may not document these assumptions here… we’ll see.