the rainier vista whirligigs...
even though mayor nickels had to cancel his appearance at the last minute, today's rainier vista community park dedication was a refreshing reminder of why i chose to live in this neighborhood. in addition to great organizations like city year and neighborhood house, there were a lot of neighborhood residents in attendance as we celebrated the hard work of a lot of volunteers who made this central community park possible. i'm really looking forward to walking out my front door and around the block to enjoy the beautiful green space and the ample play areas for the many children and families who live nearby.i also learned that right in front of my home will be an interesting international art project called the whirligigs of rainier vista. according to the brochure i picked up, the whirligigs are 'whimsical expressions of important myths, legends, and stories of people from all over the world who make up seattle's columbia city neighborhood.' i'm excited to see these kinetic wind-powered sculptures in action as they 'celebrate and inspire the cultural diversity of southeast seattle.'
more and more i'm realizing that the pursuit of diversity is just one thread in the moral fabric of justice that requires so much more than just some nice ideas and a colorfully staged photo op. people who claim to care about issues of global justice must care about local justice as well. i can protest the wto, rally support for indonesian earthquake victims, or raise awareness for humanitarian crises in africa until i'm hoarse from screaming, but if i'm living in consumeristic bliss and numbed by the greed-induced commodification of comfortable middle class life, then i am just another hypocrite with a cause- an annoying pharisaic evangelist with benevolence on the surface and a capitalist gospel at the core.
i'm fearful that i may wake up one day and realize that i've become what i just described. breathing the polluted american culture for the past 27 years has its way of slowly transforming your perspective into a world of mirrors. everything i see just reflects my own self-absorption. more than anything, i long to see beyond those mirrors, but everytime i think i smash one, a new one shows up in its place.
hopefully my colorful neighborhood will be at least a temporarily adequate distraction from wondering how the world will continue to revolve around me.
