Barefoot: a rooftop in Brooklyn. Checked time at exactly 1:11am Friday 13th. Learned something new about me, confirming old.
July 15th, 2004, 12pm
Sometimes, either my phone or ‘Hi’ breaks and improvising becomes necessary in order to post/save sketch. For some reason, couldn’t upload appropriate photo here, and it wouldn’t work photo-less. Thus, dear reader, you get to see a random old photo of a goat that once followed me through the Olympic Mountains in Washington.
In reality, I just came down off a rooftop in Brooklyn.
Rode a large ceramic whale, slid down it’s back.
Ate fish tacos outside in the rain next to a fountain in a Spanish-style courtyard in a sports bar on Driggs Ave.
Salsa dancing for the security camera in a park next to historic ruins at midnight.
Rooftop, flask of rum. Skyline, dim stars, and lengthy insightful conversation. Life paths, histories and dreams explored….
Suddenly, I can concisely articulate why I feel I finally found my calling in tech startups: I’ve always wanted to change the world, incite action, expand minds, change people. As a musician and artist, I found I was only preaching to the choir.
Finally, I’m not preaching to the choir; I can spark new flames, reach the wise but complacent, move the comfortable! I recently attended some uber-geeky conferences - schedules full of “Ubuntu” and “MySql” talks - and I ran sessions on activism and technology. As a child, I protected geeks from bullies and wrote anti-war poetry. In the middle, I organized arts festivals and performed social political songs. Now, founder of a tech startup?
Suddenly, my path is not all a disjointed mess, a life of fleeting fancies but connected thread of incredibly logical progressions that led me here…..
To this rooftop. In Brooklyn.
With a man I met a month ago at a ‘tech’ conference in Palm Springs who will be similarly crashing on MY couch in Portland next week when he comes out for another conference.
“Rooftop epiphanies! A full-circle connected Universe!” I proclaim. Grounding myself: “Hey, what time is it?” “1:11 am… on Friday the 13th” he utters, a bit in awe. No really. We have a screenshot I’d love to upload here, but can’t. 1:11am on Friday the 13th, rooftop epiphanies with new friends for random places.
Hike, bike, run, climb, dance, sing, volunteer, organize, create, debate, smile, skip, summit, ski, swim, sing some more! Tech startups for social change!! Used to write, organize festivals, documentaries... www.Activatehub.org, About.Me/LindsayCaron
Other moments in New York
-
Espressoing
in New York, United States -
A few more days
in New York, United States -
Goodbye
A final Hi meeting
in New York, United States -
meditation, Creativity
The local neighborhood bar has a quiet time between six and nine. It is a place that specializes in coffee, beer and seasonal menus. There is just enough of each for a satisfying snack and effective buzz. After the time when the laptop lids close and before the social gatherings start -- there is a sort of twilight*. Often this time is a fugitive ground rife with creative inspiration and meditative work -- of the kind that results in personal reward.*twilight may refer to civil, nautical or astronomical variety depending on your social or terrestrial condition
in New York, United States -
Web, development
A man positions his mouse on the edge of his browser window. He clicks, holds and drags the viewport first left then right. The content of a video game promo micro site responds and adapts to the available space. To the man, this is more delightful than the game itself.
in New York, United States -
subway, music
A man laboriously moves his piano down three levels onto the subway platform. Classic vocals and strided chords -- he played so well I swore he was blind. Oblivious to the heat on that August stage, he was most in touch with his audience -- whom he elevated with his music.
in New York, United States -
Feminism
A woman should do exactly as she pleases no matter what a man may think.
in New York, United States -
Travel
As the Dalai Lama once said, "It is a time when there is much in the window, but nothing in the room."
in New York, United States -
stars, Grandma, Love
"No one understands me," she said. Her grandmother was silent for a minute. It seemed she was searching for an answer in the star speckled sky. "But no one understands anyone in this world, darling. We are all unique. It is what gives us a sense of wonder."
in New York, United States