Seems to me that the last place one would think to be searching for the Soul of Money would be in the desert. I mean there aren't even enough trees out here to make the paper for the money. But on the other hand a lot of people have come to the desert to search for something, even if it is their own soul. So here I am (or better yet, here we are, cause if your reading this its like your along for the ride) at the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, NM learning the secrets of fundraising from a person who approaches the art of finding money through a Buddhist perspective. I tell you, Buddhism can be applied to almost every thing, even the accumulation of wealth. The goal here, I believe, is to learn techniques so that we can apply it to fundraising for the Zen and Martial Arts school in El Barrio, Peace on the Street. As a newly self employed individual this is an opportunity to gain more skills in an area that will benefit me and my community, but it will also give me more financial insight as I plunge into the unknown world of self employment, especially in rough economic times.
To me this is part of the adventure. I took the risk. I left my full time, benefit providing job to seek a more meaningful and productive life outside the confines of day to day security. Security if for people with kids, a mortgage, and bad health. Risk is for people like you (maybe) and me that think outside the box and look for solutions by traveling the road less used. Its now or never, so you have to be fine with facing certain uncertainty. I mean what is life without exploring the unknown. If I was put on this earth for anything else it was to be who I want to be and do what I want to do.
Being out here will definitely allow me to reset the inner compass so that it can guide me better, provide a service to an organization fighting the good fight, and give me insight to the cash world that under other circumstances would have been harder to acquire.
Back home, in El Barrio: The battle still rages on the fate of the Julia De Burgos Cultural Center. I've been a bit out of the loop but for more up to date info on it you should read my dad's blog and Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito's blog on Word Press. Also you can follow any and all East Harlem news by going to the East Harlem Preservation website.
Here's my take on this whole issue after having some days to digest whats been happening. Much hasn't changed since the last town hall meeting I attended about it. People are still bringing up old beef about who does what, and stuff like that. The same old ideas are still being thrown around on how to better use the space, etc. What this place needs is a person, or group who has the vision and capacity to really make this a viable cultural institution. All the infighting is so typical and boring that its no wonder we don't get things done sometimes. I mean if we were organized like the folks in Chicago then organizations like EDC and politicians would not be needed. The bureaucracy would come to a halt and the community would be the ones held accountable for the success and failure of what it does. Hey, heres a thought: Why don't we hire some of the Chicago Putero Ricans to come to El Barrio and show us a thing or two about true solidarity for a single multi-dimensional cause (makes sense to me. The single cause is to preserve the culture and spirit of El Barrio, while at the same time tapping into the diversity of opportunities and programs it can provide to the community, such as theater, music, poetry, films, and youth programs).
Im tapped out. No more writing. I'll come back with an update about youth violence in El Barrio. The march for the death of yet another young person and the community response to this crime. Keep sending me comments and email me at Barriomedia@gmail.com with comments and questions.
Peace.
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