Roar. How far down is the illusion.

Skipping from bit to bit in the scattered temporary fabric spun thread of yarn a tight rope both the way and the threat. Danger and hope on the same path. Fear drives us in and drives us out. There is nothing short of a restructuring of reality itself. A change that will redefine what we know to be true today beyond recognition. In other words todays certainties will be unthinkable, more than forgotten they will have never been. This is the navigation of deep space, of the unknown. The space above and the space below. In between is our vessel, on the thread. Niether the ship nor the string are our destination and their very existence takes too much of our attention. Under and behind the glass.

Building Tomorrow

Sometimes the gorgeous fairy tale of my life gets wedged into the gears of consciousness and lets out a mighty yelp. What is this world that we all hold so dear in these twin mountain towns surrounded by the wild inviting forest? What are the principals and the code of conduct who's daily rituals reinforce the structure of this culture that affords us so much of what the entire world seems to want from living? Will it last forever? Is examining it's structure forbidden, is it dangerous? These questions and more tumble from the machine in ground up bits.

To dream and to believe are particular strategies for change that originated in systems in crisis. Conditions became so intolerable that a space was created for innovative solutions that exist outside the scope of conventional knowledge. "You can't get there from here." is the answer of the status quo. Innovation skips steps, ignores conventional wisdom and even breaks the rules to find solutions and solve problems outside normal channels. This approach by itself has obvious drawbacks with regard to efficiency, productivity and reliability but great potential to generate large numbers of creative solutions and new data sets.

Three things can be done with this newly generated body of experience. One, that experience can be shared in it's raw form as a creative generator and source of inspiration with others who are working on problems which require innovative action. Two, this experience can be refined and made more robust and intelligible until it is suitable to reliably solve problems that are well understood, in new ways. Three, new models can serve as a tool for understanding problems in a new way thereby initiating another round of context for innovative thinking.

I've been thinking a lot about what makes this place so special and about how to best share and maintain that specialness as we tackle the very real problems that we face with regards to the sustainability of our little piece of heaven here on earth. The work we do is a pleasure and in line with our principals (whatever they turn out to be). If we understand them better we'll beat the clock on social infrastructure building and be in a position to perpetuate the way of life that is the dream that brings us to task.

Spring? Hahaha

Ah...Thomas. Everyone is throwing around the S word lately and it makes sense, since it's been the realest winter around here since the early aughts, by my reckoning. There are reports of 250.8 inches total snowfall in the valley this winter which crushes our yearly average of 160.

Will it snow again? Listen for the shapes and strategies in the responses of your friends and neighbors. Appeals to "the Almanac", gut feelings, common sense...? And what is up with our fascination with prediction? Even when it interferes with clear thinking and cripples production I'm drawn to speculate.

This is the tumult of transition. I prefer it to that stretch of darkness we seemed to have had there for a spell. There is a frightening excitement in the air.

The rain is falling in Thomas. Harvest is over and the transition begins. I predict warm weather soon and a chance to tie up loose ends before the real cold sets in.

Autumn

Once again. The transition. There will be all the normal patterns and exchanges of fall. With it many of us change wardrobes, jobs, habits, destination. Some parts are familiar with repetition like the falling leaves and common annual cliches falling unbidden and blown away. There is for me though always some anxiety and excitement for the change. If winter weens us then fall is our first few days of preschool (or for some collage).
Life for me now is one big feasibility study. Time to strip this thing down and get a naked look at trucks and branches. I heard that 90 plus percent of WV has been deforested at one time or another. This is no pristine or untouched wilderness. This is more like the weeds that grow up after a cultivated field has been abandoned. Is abandoning the fields our idea of engaging the natural process? Ha! Participation requires us to observe, model, implement and test new strategies for our own lives and for interfacing the "natural world" that surrounds us.
So good luck everyone, with your plans for a new season. Plan on amazing (it's the new minimum).

Monday Morning

It's fall in Thomas. Or lets just say, it's getting there. The foliage is still intact for the most part but some trees are melting into a burst of impossible beauty that hammers my chest like an ocean wave. Be careful on the roads as the awe-salting of the eyes has the most impact while the background green sets of the entrepreneurs of fall. The transition shows us what is coming.

Celebrate

This is a blog about Thomas WV and about my experience living here and about telling stories that shape tomorrow. The question that occupies my mind has to do with the story of Thomas and my story and all the stories that make up the very real and tangible thread of experience.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon celebrating a wedding with old friends. Many of whom have moved away from Tucker County to find work. They express to me a desire to come back here and live but worry that there are not jobs here to support them. I agree. Many of us who live here derive out incomes from a mixture of tasks, part time jobs and occasional commissions. I wonder if or how we can see this changing. I wish for my friends back.

I am committed to actualization in my life and believe in the potential of Thomas-Davis and Tucker County, WV and the world to initiate strategies that will transform and elevate the human experience. If Thomas has a seed I'm interested to see what grows when we water it.