Community engagement
"It's like a yard sale, except everything is free!"
My partner and I went out today for Community Free Market. A small group organizes the monthly meet-ups at various parks around the city. They've been doing it for 14 years now, and the vibes today were sublime: a bright Saturday morning filled with comfortably spaced people milling about under some tall trees.
A red-tailed hawk floated gracefully overhead while enduring a modest mobbing from two blackbirds; there was non-intrusive traffic noise. It was an idyllic morning.
We brought a mishmash of books, handbags, canned food, boxed noodles, and some other knickknacks. The toys went fast; one young boy was vibrating with excitement to receive a figure of Din Djarin, The Mandalorian himself.
These markets run for around 90 minutes, a cozy amount of time to engage without becoming overstimulated. I'm not deeply versed in Christine Miserandino's spoon theory, but I definitely get it – though my reserves run deep, the eventual deficit always hits harder than anticipated. Thinking about it now, maybe my going to a recent City Council meeting – which ran for three and a half hours – warmed me up.
That meeting centered on a "main event" (as described by one Councilor) with a long stream of public testimony. One council member proposed a city-level minimum wage in response to some fuckery in the State legislature. The vote is this Monday, so there will be more to say.
And that's my time. I hope to keep it going. Thanks for reading this far.