My son Dyaln is really inspired by his volunteer work. I think everyone is inspired by Tacoma Art Place. The idea came from art co-ops we visited in Mali, West Africa.
It's a gift to Tacoma!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Tacoma Art Place
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Socially Responsible Crafting
Summer is here and its a time for more than crafts. Each summe we choose a socially resposible project for our family.
In 2004 we registered voters, which we take up again in 2008. In 2005, Dylan and I collected tickets and doled out popcorn at The Grand Cinema in Tacoma, WA. We learned that even small contributions sustain the things we enjoy in our community. It was very enjoyable to knit between movies. Last year my trip to Africa provided Dylan a chance to learn about global poverty, although those images were pretty far away and likely intangible for a seven year-old. It was a great disappointment when he whined for a Nintendo DS, as I got off the plane.
This summer I’m evaluating soup kitchens and food pantries. In our culture of abundance for those with great aptitude, it will be eye opening to see the hard life faced by people with far different circumstances. Empathy, can we teach it?
Is it possible given our culture of right vs. wrong, good vs. bad? Many artists try. I’ve been thinking about this. I think we all know someone we really care about that just isn’t necessarily in tune with or respectful to other people’s feelings and circumstances. Political pundits simplify and discount social programs and the issue of immigration. Did their parents talk to them about the validity of other people’s circumstances when they were younger? I’ve had some healthy conversations with Dylan about empathy. But it is difficult to explain the concept. If you know of a good lesson to simplify teaching empathy, please post a comment. Remember we still want him to grow up to be a capitalist pig. (kidding) He can make up for it by working at a credit union.
In 2004 we registered voters, which we take up again in 2008. In 2005, Dylan and I collected tickets and doled out popcorn at The Grand Cinema in Tacoma, WA. We learned that even small contributions sustain the things we enjoy in our community. It was very enjoyable to knit between movies. Last year my trip to Africa provided Dylan a chance to learn about global poverty, although those images were pretty far away and likely intangible for a seven year-old. It was a great disappointment when he whined for a Nintendo DS, as I got off the plane.
This summer I’m evaluating soup kitchens and food pantries. In our culture of abundance for those with great aptitude, it will be eye opening to see the hard life faced by people with far different circumstances. Empathy, can we teach it?
Is it possible given our culture of right vs. wrong, good vs. bad? Many artists try. I’ve been thinking about this. I think we all know someone we really care about that just isn’t necessarily in tune with or respectful to other people’s feelings and circumstances. Political pundits simplify and discount social programs and the issue of immigration. Did their parents talk to them about the validity of other people’s circumstances when they were younger? I’ve had some healthy conversations with Dylan about empathy. But it is difficult to explain the concept. If you know of a good lesson to simplify teaching empathy, please post a comment. Remember we still want him to grow up to be a capitalist pig. (kidding) He can make up for it by working at a credit union.
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