There are certain skills I’ve used as a Rabbi’s Daughter that have and will continue to serve me well professionally. Most especially, my skills in working a crowd.

We had a party tonight at work, with a lot of board members as guests, in addition to some new visitors. I knew that as the new employee I’d need to network, and I’ve always enjoyed hostessing… but there was an additional element tonight that I didn’t anticipate.

We’re a small organization. My coworkers have very large personalities; in the space of two weeks, I’ve come to feel like I’ve known them for a long time. And the museum is an historic house. I’ve been through the entire house; there are days when I’ve been the one to open or lock up. So tonight it really felt like we were preparing our own home, opening our own doors to the guests, sharing a special place that we all love on a personal level.

Further, it felt like family. The small group of us – my coworkers and their relatives – lingered after the party ended, talking and laughing. Half of them were new people to me, but we enjoyed one another.

There was another funny connection for me. I love hostessing – but I also love discussion, especially philosophical. As my mother and I cleared the table after Saturday lunches, I’d feel torn between my role clearing up and wanting to stay to listen and participate in the religious discussions between my father and the guests. Tonight, as we were clearing up from the party, I found the three men discussing religion. Had the same internal tug-of-war between roles.

Tonight was wonderful.

Years ago, when I lived in this same town as a child, a young married couple moved into the house next door.

They had a dog and cats – and I think they had a baby, but oddly enough I can’t remember for certain. Maybe because at that time, in this community, it was assumed that a young married couple buying their first house probably had a baby – so my brain has skipped over that detail.

I didn’t spend much time around them. They moved in just before we left the state.

But I do remember that they threw a housewarming party and invited all the neighbors. It made a very strong impression on me – the idea of opening your doors, welcoming everyone in, and making yourself part of your new community. I was only about ten years old, but I’ve always remembered that – and thought that I’d like to do that. I’d like to become the house where all the neighborhood kids drop by after school to say hi and have a cookie or pet the dog; I’d like to draw people into my home and make my kitchen and living room an extension of the community.

So I suppose it’s ironic that I haven’t met any of my sister’s neighbors. At first it was because of the temporary nature of the situation, but that rule doesn’t really hold anymore – I’ve decided to live and never wait until “later” for no good reason. I can’t live my life on hold, so I’m not. Besides, friends can stay in touch well beyond state lines, if I were to move far away.

So to be honest, it’s two things that have held me back. One is that it seems awkward to introduce myself and make friends with the neighbors if my sister isn’t going to feel similarly and open her home. Two is that… well, it still seems risky to me to trust strangers, even the ones living next door. I’m still figuring out how to best navigate that issue, since I refuse to spend the rest of my life in isolation from my surrounding community!

Anyways, I did finally meet some neighbors last night. They invited me and my sister to a meal this weekend. My sister asked to schedule it for a week when the boys will be with us, but it’s still progress.

It’s funny, actually. I know it’s been long in the making – months, really – but it feels like in the space of a week my life has suddenly become full of people. I don’t think an hour goes by without some form of contact with someone – my girlfriends, my sister, my friend from Habitat…. it’s almost overwhelming ocassionally. With people comes noise and mood and drama. But even when I need quiet moments, I’m grateful. I didn’t make many good friends in Pittsburgh, so it’s been a pretty lonely year since I left Baltimore. I’m not lonely anymore. I’ve learned that in the right places, I can make friends pretty easily. And I’ve learned that if I don’t inhibit myself – don’t put off ideas just because they are silly or random – then there’s a lot of joy to be had in the world.

So even though I feel sad when I think about moving – leaving behind soccer nights and some much-loved places and people – I know I’ll be able to do this again. Make friends, make a home, make a life.

This blog post is brought to you courtesy of Starbucks, without which I would currently be incoherent and/or falling asleep.

The good thing about having a destination is that you don’t feel aimless; the good thing about not having a deadline to get there is that you get to enjoy the trip. That’s not a metaphor… it’s just my experience from this weekend. I walked from Port Authority to Union Square. I went primarily to check out the Farmer’s Market and meet a friend, but it became a very relaxed day with lots of little surprises.

I love walking through the fabric stores of the Fashion District – all the window displays of texture and color and contrast. Just a few blocks from Port Authority I popped into a book store – its name is misleading; it has books on photography, comedy, art of all kinds (I found a book on Chagall), a full selection of Shakespeare, books on using drama in the classroom… and on and on.

Drama Book Shop

Made another random stop into a greenhouse – it didn’t have the full greenhouse experience – the humid air full of scent – but I got some photos.

The other good thing about having a destination is that you can make yourself wait for food. I really wanted to see what the Market offered, and it paid off. I’ve been wanting an apple turnover for a week, and I finally had one – definitely worth the wait!

Beyond the turnover, the Market was smaller than I expected – perhaps it reaches the “70 vendors” level in Autumn. But I enjoyed it and it definitely gave me a sense of the audience they cater to – this sign might be a cynical commentary on that:

"Attn New Yorkers: Eggs do not come from cows. Eggs are not dairy."

Cynical commentary aside, the Market obviously catered to a vegan and “natural foods” crowd – lots of vegan baked goods, wheatgrass, etc. But also loads of fresh cider, fruits, and vegetables. Also plenty of art vendors and even –

Free Hugs

Besides the food I ate there, I didn’t buy anything – including en route to the Market! (and including the free hugs. I was a little suspicious about those.) I did see some very cute things I considered for friends and family, but I was good…. I did take some photos, though (big surprise) – like these wax frogs! There were wax dragons, too, but the frogs were better.

Wax Frogs

There was plenty else to see and do… a magician walked up and asked to practice his show on me and a few others nearby. There were chess games – I considered getting a lesson in chess, but wasn’t sure if I’d have enough time til I met my friend. There was a human statue – I haven’t seen those since I was a kid at RennFest. When I got tired of the busyness, I pulled out my book on the park lawn or slipped into Barnes and Noble, where I met George, who is taking a fashion photography class and shared his booklist with me. Since one of his books wasn’t available at B&N, I told him about the Drama Book Shop. Funny little chance encounters. A model from England and her actor boyfriend. A man wearing a hat similar to mine from Lesotho. And so on.

I met my friend late – she had some trouble making it courtesy public transport – but she treated me to a latte so that worked out just fine :-p

It’s a bit of an odd match. We’re total opposites for the most part, at least in the most obvious ways. Maybe it’s like yin and yang, in that we each have qualities the other admires and so we seek one another out.

Maybe it just works out well because I can drag her out of jewelry shops and she can drag me out of bookstores. Ha.

But she’s another one of these people who see some great potential in me and wants it directed. Wants me to use it and stop wasting time. And she’s another person with a lofty goal, for whom everything boils back down to that goal that’s going to change the world. She looks at me and sees a world-changing energy, force, power, ability.

I should be flattered, but it comes closer to frustration. I’ve grown a great deal in the last year, but I haven’t reached the place these people have been asking me to. Not yet. I commented to her that the majority of these people – these people I find who push me and guide me – seem to be Black. She laughed and said I attract them and my vibe is all “sister.” Maybe I was Black in a past life…. Anyways, she gave me a lot to think about. But for the most part it was a quiet evening, just enjoying one another’s company and the summer night.

Getting home was something of a challenge…. the bus was nearly an hour late, and it wasn’t my usual bus. I’m grateful for a friendly bus driver who helped me find the right stop. I got home close to 3am.

Continuing with the weekend…. after I left Starbucks (where I wrote all the above), I headed to the Hackensack Greenway. I met the President of the local Board of Education and talked with him for a while – then solved two people’s problems – the President needed worms; another man had never fished at the river and seemed a bit lost and lonely, but happened to have worms. So I left them enjoying one another’s worms and companionship. Then walking back I met two birders, and we three met the President of the Friends of the Greenway. Series of pleasant chances.

Dragonfly (cell phone picture)

I learned some things there that disturbed me – about people not entirely understanding how the poisons in the river can impact their health. I’m getting verification of my concerns before I figure out what to do.

It’s funny. Last night I told my friend I probably wasn’t doing anything today. Apparently “doing nothing” means something different from “nothing”! I like what it means instead :-p

My sister and her sons are probably headed to Harry Potter tonight… I’ll probably watch Yes Man again at home and catch up with Anne Marie by phone. I haven’t done an ASL video in a month, which displeases me, so perhaps I’ll make that finally happen.

I have two main childhood memories of Port Authority, the central bus station in NYC, both of which have played big roles in my interests ever since.

The first is the kinetic ball machine:

Kinetic Ball Machine (not my photo)

Seeing that machine was the highlight of my trips into the City with my Mum. We had one at the Science Center, too, which reawakened the interest during college. When it was quiet I’d spend hours figuring out the machine’s system and imagining one I could build myself someday.

The other memory is more serious. Port Authority sheltered many homeless people. Rushing through, holding my mother’s hand, I saw the people wrapped in blankets asleep or holding handwritten cardboard signs. It was my first exposure to homelessness, drug abuse, and all that goes with them. There’s a specific visual image that comes to mind whenever I encounter homelessness – or pass a specific corner in Port Authority – and I still remember my mother’s explanations about why it’s better to give money to organizations than to the individuals directly. It’s a conversation I’ve had over and over again in the years since. About homeless people, and about other issues – the question has been a constant in my life: how do you balance reaching many with the need to help individuals?

The questions that started in that memory go further. I can’t work in an organization without looking for ways to reach the underserved audience. I can’t, and won’t, ignore the people who don’t have the resources to enjoy or utilize what an organization offers. I’m not sure I could work outside of nonprofits, but the questions exist even within nonprofits.

I have certain beliefs that I’ve never put fully into words, but that drive me nonetheless. There’s a quote by Sartre:

“Man is condemned to be free. Condemned because he has not created himself- and is nevertheless free. Because having once been hurled into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.”

And another, engraved at Arlington Cemetery:

“It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
Robert Kennedy
South Africa, 1966

I believe in accountability and responsibility, and I believe we make the choice to uphold those values each day, each moment. I believe that we are a web of human interconnectedness, and that my smile to someone on the subway could through chain effect change humanity.

And I believe that one doesn’t have to be in nonprofits to help “save the world,” nor in nonprofits directly dealing with the core issues today… and there are so many issues, it’s hard to know where to start. But I still struggle with that question of how to best be part of the changes that need to occur.

I’m at a place right now where I have two avenues opening to me, and I may have to choose which one I pursue. And they both leave me struggling with the question: will I be able to create opportunities to reach those who are most desperate?

I’m going to start with a few “everyday” updates, then get onto the things I’m thinking about.

I did the bulk of training for the Environmental Education Center. Unfortunately, since I’m full time until November at the museum and the winter is pretty quiet at the EEC, I won’t get many hours besides a few nights and weekends until April. However, it’ll give me time to study. Most of the training is geared towards “how do you teach”, not “what do you teach”…. this is a problem for me, since I know how to teach but don’t have the science knowledge. So I’m going to need to design my own curriculum, somewhat. I don’t think my supervisor really gets that, or appreciates that I have to give priority to the museum. But I’m going to look out for myself.

After training today I went to a picnic. I knew two of my friends were planning to go and I don’t turn down free food. It turned out to be a very small gathering, but I stayed about 2.5 hours and had fun. I’m better at Ultimate Frisbee than I expected… and I definitely made up for the low amount of fat I consume in my normal diet!! And I’m feeling like somehow (okay, fine, because I made it happen) these two girls and I have become a semi-trio, and I’m enjoying that.

It actually felt a little odd to be at the picnic and not really have anything pressing to do. Of course NOW I can think of several things I should have thought of doing afterwards, but I didn’t then….

Oh, a side note, I learned that lettuce doesn’t defrost well.

Okay, we’re up to the things I’m thinking about.

There’s a popular type of article. It’s been around for years. It’s the “how to live and be fulfilled” article. It outlines steps: Eat well and exercise. See friends at least twice a week. Etc, etc. Simple steps that make life seem like an equation anyone can succeed at with the right scheduling.

Admittedly I have stress in my life that can offset the benefits of those things. But I’ve realized, with a little help, that there’s something much more basic that I’m struggling with: I’ve lost track of my passion and my inspiration in the last few weeks. Some of that may be stress, and some is because my priority is to get into the field so that I can then build my way to the kind of work I want to do, but some of it is that neither my passion nor my inspiration were fully defined in the first place.

Since I was a child, I’ve wanted to help people and “save the world”. Sociology introduced me more clearly to “social problems” and my family background grew the belief in me that education is key. I figured out that museums offered a career path and I believed- still do- that museums can be sources of major change, able to do things that schools don’t have the flexibility to do. And I love the work, so that’s a major plus.

I’ve been frustrated because while others seem so impressed with what I’ve achieved, it’s the drive to do more than what I see being done- to step out and do more than just BE inspired, but to INSPIRE and, more, to CREATE change…. that’s what sets one apart and that’s what I haven’t made myself do.

But what’s the change I want to create? My training is audience-centric; I thought I’d learn the audience’s needs and build around that. But who defines the audience? Who defines which need I’m best equipped to help with?

And maybe that’s where my passion comes in. The world is too big, the world has too many problems, to solve every one. But if I find the audience and the need I feel most passionate about- passion doesn’t always equal capability, but passion and inspiration will enable me to get a lot more done- and feel like I’m doing something meaningful- and make me happier- more than anything else could.

And I wonder if inspiration isn’t always related to one’s focus. I’ve never entirely understood the human need for art- even though I’m obsessed with dance and I enjoy other forms of art. But art does inspire me. And maybe dance doesn’t have to be related to my work to still be a source of inspiration. Though sometimes it is- I own a poster of Renoir’s Dance at Bougival specifically because Robert Coles talks about the piece inspiring a family who were living in poverty- I bought it as a reminder to myself, when I was with an institution that wasn’t driven to reach out further to the under-served community.

In any case, I have a lot of thinking to do. But I always welcome opportunities for growth, and I’m taking this as one. In many ways- both thinking about who I am and what I want to do, but also seeking out growth and learning experiences to help me as I think. I’m not sure I’m patient enough to wait until I feel sure- I’m more tempted to “try on” different things and see what feels right. If I can pitch the right ideas, there are so many opportunities from a museum.

It’s funny…. I OD’ed on bagels last night and that made me wake up a mental wreck (carbs are evil!). And then I get dressed to go to the museum, and everything starts feeling better. And then, throughout the day, everything starts falling into place. First: I got a new job. It pays a bit more, it’s a set schedule, it’s benefited- and it lets me off at 12:15 every day so I can go to the museum. This is especially important because there’s a strong possibility of a part time job at the museum. I was keeping quiet about it til now, but one of the high upon highs spoke to me about it today…. so I think it’s safe to hope. But I won’t talk about it too much til it happens

And I have Shabbat free this week, so I spoke to a friend who is trying to arrange a place for me to stay in Squirrel Hill. I already have a place for lunch, and she’s going to call me back later tonight about the place to stay.

Even at the museum… I was doing research, and bit by bit things started falling into place.

I don’t know how to thank enough the people who have helped me, or even made these things happen. My supervisor at the museum has been amazing. My brother and sister, John- I’ve been leaning on them a lot, and I probably will continue to do so (though I think John and my sister got as many “super excited” emails today as they do when things aren’t going well!) I’m beginning to feel like I have people invested in me, in my achievements and my well-being- and it’s a good feeling. I can only pay them back by doing my best, and by being there when they need the same support they’ve given me- or paying it forward, when that opportunity arises.

Friend of mine: “I like the sound of the word ‘Smithsonian’. It makes me think of a deli counter with lots of great meats and cheeses.”

The response from the Jewish community here has been overwhelming. I haven’t even had a chance to contact all the people who replied to the listserv, and I already came home to almost 30 emails- mostly who heard about me through one person I spoke to last night. It’s making me think a lot more about possibly trying to move to Squirrel Hill… it’s much easier in terms of transportation there, but it’s also more community-oriented, and a safe part of town. We’ll see…. have a while til I can worry about that.

Got the car- some slight complications because I have a MD license, not PA. Hopefully taking care of that tomorrow. But I love the car. It’s silly, isn’t it, how we want to celebrate something that’s already a special occurrence? My celebration was eating a real dinner instead of just soup I can’t tell you how happy I was to finally find Morningstar products at the supermarket! So I guess that’s kind of a double celebration :-p

Bagel shop was okay today. I was very tired and wasn’t working with the friendlier coworkers today.

Very tired now as well- will try to post a more detailed/pleasureable update tomorrow.

PS- Two people have already offered to set me up on shidduchs. I politely responded that my life is a bit too in-flux at the moment for that, but thanked them and promised to keep it in mind.

We were talking about electricity the other day; what materials are conductors (easy for electricity to flow through them) and resistors (it’s difficult/impossible for electricity to flow through them) and semi-conductors (under certain conditions, electricity can flow through them). The kids were coming up with materials that went into each category. We talked about water– how pure water is a resistor, but most water has “stuff” in it- metals it has picked up through the faucets, etc. And I guess that triggered the train of thought resulting in one boy’s raised hand and following announcement that “dry dead fish” must be a resistor.

The way my mind runs, of course I immediately started working out the conditions necessary for that fish to truly become non-conducting. But I contained myself and let the class continue forward.

One thing this week-long class has highlighted for me is how much time investment colors our interests. That is – you spend enough time on something, and you start to care about it. I happen to be interested in everything – but electrical resistance would probably not have been top of the list three years ago or even today – if I hadn’t spent a lot of time and thought in a project specifically about electrical resistance. So yesterday, when we worked on that specific topic with the kids, and even used part of my project from two years ago… I was so excited. I’ve also realized how easy it is to expect others to be excited about the things you like. The kids got that lesson the other day, too…. we let them take their projects on the floor to show visitors. They’d been working all morning making fruit and vegetables play music with their PicoCrickets. And ultimately, what determined visitor interest was (a) visitor openness to an unexpected experience and (b) the approach a kid used to share their project. Some of the kids surprised me…. one seems less socially savvy in the classroom but had every alpha skill working on the exhibit floor (my sister calls the skills for socializing and playing the crowd ‘alpha skills’). Others are very strong socially but didn’t know how to approach visitors.

But it also has me thinking about museums in the broad sense. We all start with a topic or theme. And we all (ideally) also start with an audience. So bringing those two together isn’t always simple.

On another note, I got the following complaint from a kid earlier:

“They lied! They said we would watch a movie, but it was an educational film- that was probably made in 1996 when color cameras were first invented!”

The photographer in me, the history buff, AND the 23-year old all cringed…

There’s a Jewish practice that you should contribute 10% of your earnings to charity. Mum asked me if I wanted a silver charity box that she found. It confronted me with an interesting sheaylah (religious practice question), which I posed to my father: if I focus my life’s work on helping the under-served, and if any money I save is most likely being saved to help me continue and/or expand that work, is it sensible to still donate the expected 10% of my earnings to charity?

He said yes; everyone is supposed to donate the 10%. The box is silver; I’ll have to polish it. I think it will be good for me- a reminder, a moment for reflection each month. Time to think about whether I’m pursuing my purpose, and how to do so.

I met my good friend Ron for tea after work today. Ron is really involved in the social change community, and a fantastic source for history of various social change movements. Tea with him really reminded me that just as I have a museum community, I have a social change community- really incredible, supportive, creative people who each help one another develop and grow.

I also found out today that a friend from my internship at the Baltimore Museum of Art now works at the Science Center! I’m thrilled to be in contact with him again- hopefully it will continue by email- and I’m thrilled for him, because I think he’ll enjoy being an educator much more than what he was doing before. So between that and Ron, it’s really hitting me that I have this supportive circle of friends- wonderful people who inspire, support, and care.

Another thing that came out of my meeting Ron is realizing that I don’t have to wait. Patience isn’t my virtue- but the courage for initiative is something I’ve actively developed in myself, and am still doing so. I’ve had dreams for various outreach programs for some time now- but I’ve been waiting. Mostly for an institution to affiliate them with, or the funding to do them. But maybe that’s not necessary- or maybe it would just take too long. It doesn’t hurt if I can find those things, but would I give up the dreams just because the perfect chance doesn’t fall into my lap? No way.

Warning before reading this post: I wrote it caffeinated and exhausted. Hence, it’s rather a ramble- I’d like to think that under normal conditions I would’ve streamlined my thoughts.

It’s nearing midnight, Wednesday night. I had Starbucks right before going to Rachel’s, so I’m half-asleep and half-hyped still… a bit brain-scrambled! But I thought I’d use what’s left of my mental awareness for the night to start composing my thoughts of late. The Internet is still not working, so hopefully I can post this tomorrow after the tech guy comes. Of course, it’s also possible that the storm will return, knock out power, and I’ll lose the whole post! Or, more optimistically, maybe the Internet will work just long enough for me to post this tonight.

The storm provided another opportunity to see how I’ve somewhat integrated into Rachel’s family, and how much I appreciate that opportunity for a type of interaction I never really had growing up- younger siblings. Rachel’s youngest was already upset from tiredness and having to sleep alone (her sister is away). The storm only escalated her stress. So I took her back upstairs, lay in bed with her, talked and sang. Ultimately she came back downstairs upset again- she tried sleeping in her brothers’ room so she wouldn’t be alone, and apparently one of her brothers upset her- but it was nice. It was nice that she accepted me doing it, and that Rachel did, and that I had the opportunity to do it.

Insert transition here, because while I can come up with a few, none of them are really worthwhile ones.

There’s educational theory that suggests children go through a stage of purposely imitating adults so as to learn social norms, how to manipulate objects in the world, etc. Those theories usually go on to discuss the individual’s later development as an individual- expressing themselves beyond the outline of what they learnt.

I wonder how that theory plays out in a social context- specifically- does our society encourage creativity? Does our society teach how to use creativity, apply it? And finally, does our society teach initiative? I was discussing this with the Head of Education at work on Tuesday…. I’m assisting with a summer camp class all of next week that revolves around PicoCrickets. To summarize, PicoCrickets offer a computer program- very easy to use- that programs a physical object- which children can build into almost anything. To clarify: you “zap” the program into the machine, which is hooked up to your object- and wala, you can make lights change colors, things bounce around, things play music, etc… and the sky is the limit. You can even create different types of “switches”- that is, you can make something happen when you clap; when you change the lighting; when you change the electrical resistance; and so on. If you go on YouTube, you can find plenty of examples. I’m looking forward to seeing for myself how the kids interact with the program; but from what I heard, they are satisfied very easily and it rarely occurs to them to take their ideas- or ideas copied from others’ creations- to the “next level”.

But I’ve been learning that the drive to a “next level” depends on your type of creativity. With a website or a recipe, I can easily envision how to be more creative. With a physical object or presentation approach, John is amazing at envisioning the next (often wacky!) level.

But do we encourage children to never take the step to innovation and personal creativity?

An anecdote about initiative… One of my coworkers suggested an idea for the Brain demo show I’ve been working on. Carrie prompted me to go out on the floor and try it out with visitors. It was hilarious- you ever want some fun, ask a bunch of kids to keep tossing a beanbag and two small balls back and forth simultaneously (for the record, we’re NOT doing it that way in the real show!) the kids had fun, and some of them actually got the idea behind the activity. But the point is, they were THRILLED to help us out. And all it required was walking up to a random group and saying “hey, we’re trying an experiment and need four volunteers”- immediately we had four- or more!- volunteers.

Which brings me to another anecdote. Having our own summer camp brings a whole new meaning to visitors “owning” the museum. These kids feel so comfortable in the museum; it’s wonderful. A coworker had out the hot air balloon the other day in the lobby, having kids (any kids around) hold it over the hot air and do liftoff. And it gave me this flash of a wish- for a place where those individualized experiences are constantly happening. The ultimate hands-on experience museum. I mean, ActivityMuseum is one thing- but that’s only a website (a still unlaunched one at that). John has often said I shouldn’t ignore the possibility of making it into something physical one day, but I’ve generally ignored him But the truth is- why can’t any museum be like that? Rachel took her kids to NASM the other day and her daughter was disappointed at how many things were behind glass. Maybe a few paper airplanes, hot air balloons, and experiments of blowing hot air over and under paper towel rolls would have made the difference. (For the record- I know that NASM has explainers, some of which I really like- I’m only commenting on one person’s experience- and envisioning a museum with constant opportunities for individualized experience).

There’s a book Rachel shared with me called Hana’s Suitcase. I’ll admit upfront that I haven’t read the whole thing. But basically, the children want to know about the girl who owned this suitcase during the Holocaust. They turn it inside out searching for clues; the curator spends a year researching; eventually the girl’s brother comes and speaks to all the children. That’s a case where the children didn’t do the research so much, but they had a real experience connecting them to a girl from history.

We read a book (I need to run upstairs and check the title) a few months ago describing a futuristic, very individualized-experience museum. I’m planning to re-read it and see how much I think is really viable- because why shouldn’t it be? Why couldn’t it be implemented at any museum? (Okay, yes, money might be a factor! But even Self-Guides are a step, and docents with a wide knowledge base are a big step as well)

I’m rambling. Insert transition here.

I’ve had numerous discussions with Rachel and others about whether religion is necessary for morals and ethics. A friend said something interesting today that gave me a new perspective: because she was raised without religion, she needed to find a moral context to validate her choices regarding physical relationships. I suspect this is partially situational; no one should, technically, need validation for their choices regarding their wellbeing. But thinking about society today- you hear a lot about girls feeling pressured by boyfriends, by the media, by their social groups.

My eyes are getting tired, and the computer has been trying to load a website for about ten minutes now. I’m heading to bed, will try to edit this tomorrow, and hopefully post!

This morning is beautiful. I’m thoroughly torn between staying outside, going running, vs. actually doing my To Do list that’s grown while the Internet was out.