Author: Eden Bloom

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Imagine No Robocop  


Many across Detroit and the world have tuned into the latest Detroit Kickstarter kitsch, a proposed Robocop Statue across from the (in)famous Michigan Central Station. You can learn more about it and take in some of the feedback the project is getting from Detroiters at the Imagination Station’s Facebook page. The statue has been written about extensively, but I’d like to shift the focus from Robocop to some blind spots that many white artist/entrepreneurs often succumb to while striving to engage Detroit’s diverse communities and respect its rich history. 

First, I’m not a fan. Just to get it off my chest, I’ll share that, if this statue gets built, I’m really not looking forward to going to the park, which is right across the expressway from our home, and explaining to my son the who and why of Robocop. I’ll have to share the dystopian and dysfunctional narrative, mediating culture being a part of my role as a parent, but I’m not a fan of carceral robotics and would like to have that conversation a little later in his life. Though this isn’t my main thrust, I share it in the hope it may reframe the statue for some from the eyes of our city’s youth.

And really, that just leads up to some big questions for me, and they are part of a greater issue that I’ve spent the past five years trying to mindfully navigate, yet still barely grasp. What we’ve been striving towards is the ability to see the work Angela and I share from different perspectives. We do this because Angela and I value perspectives outside of the highly influential circles of predominantly white artist/entrepreneurs that gather and organize Detroit’s return to what we consider to be a rather sterile version of a “world class” city.

We seek these perspectives because we believe that racial disparity is the greatest threat to succesfully co-creating sustainable communities in Detroit. So, how can we, as white artist/entrepreneurs, truly engage? How do we not only share with, but also learn from the communities around us? Is it possible to even take the lead from the communities that we profess to be in tune with?

And most importantly to the here and now, for Robocop and the folks at Imagination Station is, how do we navigate community dissent? Due to the defensive nature of some of the facebook posts I’ve read, I’ve gathered that, with Robocop, the organizers at the Imagination Station have received their first opportunity to hold themselves accountable to community members who have expressed dissent to a project. That’s a tough one. It’s the point where your community engagement policies and procedures are put to the test, or it’s the point where you discover they were there simply as a symbolic green light and good PR.

It’s really a pickle that I’ve been in for the past few years. At Detroit Evolution we’ve made mistakes that we are still striving to amend. I don’t have the answers, but I do know that it takes a great deal more time to engage at the level I feel is requisite to build something that is not only meaningful, but sustainable. Taking time really isn’t celebrated in crowd-based funding circles. And really, it’s the last thing that anyone attempting to get a project off the ground wants to hear, especially white artist/entrepreneurs, who are used to being able to do what they please without being held accountable to anyone.

Here’s an approach: the physical infrastructure in Detroit is broken, which many outsiders consider to be a green light. Projects are planned, funded and executed under the assumption that the community infrastructure is broken as well. If people tried to do half the things that have been done in Detroit in a place with a recognizable community infrastructure, they would be blocked. The issue here is that Detroit’s community infrastructure is not broken, it has simply taken on forms that many don’t see.

This isn’t a radical idea; if the community center is blown out, it doesn’t mean that the community doesn’t gather, they just gather in places that many wouldn’t consider valid spaces. After that it comes down to the fact that many don’t want to see or hear from the community, because it means they need to slow down and not only listen, but possibly stop or shift their project or idea.

Co-creating within a community can be hard on your ego and even harder on your art project. I know, I’m recovering from a poorly organized Kickstarter project that brought our values about community engagement into question as a half-finished Dome. Heck, I’m a white guy who opened up a “Laboratory” in a predominantly African-American city! I’m learning, or unlearning as I’ve come to frame it. 

We all have a great deal of work ahead of us if we are going to step into the future in a meaningful, mindful and equitable manner. I think that it can be done and believe that, if we are able to pull it off, it will not look like anything we have seen before. It will take Real PR, real public relations, not marketing or pushing flavor of the week memes. 

I encourage the organizers of this project and The Imagination Station to stand strong on their touted commitment to the community. I highly recommend trying to listen to the voices that can’t yet be heard, the ones that you don’t want to hear and, even if it means stepping down or shifting gears, following the community’s lead. I think a great deal of relationship building could be facilitated by mindfully stepping down from this precipice. I wish the organizers all the best in mediating this challenge.

©EschatonLife

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I am an anomalous amalgamation

1/29/11 6:01 PM

I am an anomalous amalgamation.  An independent agent, born in captivity, attempting to return to a hive that has no means to integrate me or desire as I smell like the enemy. I want to be in the hive, to share, to support, to be a part of. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ah D______, when hasn’t lex parsimoniae come into it? 🙂 Good to see you and some of the others here. You? a ———? I’m just going to put that down next to my hippie. 

I’m glad you keep popping up here. I’ve been internally mediating my past and my current uber public working mode and would like to use this as an opportunity to tells bits of my story and perspective that I’ve wanted to share. I hope you don’t mind my taking you along for the ride. 

Delete if I outstep any utterly valid public boundaries. One of the reasons Angela and I have been successful in Detroit is that we we try to wear our shit on our sleeve. I still find it odd that the most intuitive things, like sharing our resources and our stories, are twisted up and distorted so they can never threaten the status quo. I try to share a great deal, but I don’t get many opportunities to carry on about my personal evolutionary path, a great deal of which, I’m honored to have walked with you.

Brother, I know it’s perspective, but this paradigm seems more intense than many of our excursions. (that doesn’t decrease the value or extremity of our shared moments screaming through the void) The boy may induce this, but the intensity was here before his manifestation. Ha! maybe its age. 

When last we met I was holed up in Compuware drinking my face off and going into massive debt. 

Actually, you helped send me in this direction with that catholic wedding. I thought I had the will and reserve to successfully navigate corporate America and the suburbs and, frankly, got trapped. Well, is it really getting trapped if the process of escaping gives you the tools requisite for the next chapter? 🙂 

It took yoga three times a day, a series of ceremonies, a journey to India to study with my now passed Guru, a NASTY divorce, and a summer of trying to rub up against anything that would stand still to break out of it. Though I wouldn’t change anything I made some poor choices there that I’ll most likely have to navigate through a few more cycles. 

Two things happened in that process that actually set the stage for the current paradigm, I met Angela (you’ll flip when you meet her, amazing being) and the City of Detroit started to talk to me. 

Recently though, the City stopped talking to me and in its place I began to hear the voices of the people who live here. To my own amazement they sounded like some of the voices I heard on our intense excursions. I’m now dedicated to the the sometimes painful never-ending process of aligning myself with those voices in real time. You know the depths of my misanthropy and I’m sure you can identify what a mf this is. 

But I think I save the rest for another. This should be just the right amount of information to raise eyebrows at the next community potluck. 🙂 Love to you and yours Brother!

-END-

©EschatonLife

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“Real Men” Don’t Do Yoga

A version of this was published and syndicated nationally through Natural Awakenings. There is a huge difference between the text below, which includes a critique of masculinity and what was published. Like most things here I would write it differently today, but feel there is some merit given the ongoing need to grow self awareness and compassion. 23.  

“Real Men” Don’t Do Yoga
An example of Active Compassion written for Men
We come from different places and all of us have different paths to fulfill here. We need to acknowledge our differences, let them be, and find some common ground. This common ground gives us space for the exploration requisite to heal ourselves and to help heal the world around us. Many believe we are at a pivotal point in history.  With out getting too into details (details tend to muck up common ground) we need to do something about the roles that are considered acceptable for Men in our culture.

There is a huge discrepancy between the portrayals of “Real Men” in the media and the men that many of us would like to be and that the world really needs right now. This discrepancy keeps us from engaging in, and gives us the opportunity to avoid, practices that inspire health, well being, and active compassion because they don’t fit acceptable roles. In order to change this we must change ourselves and support and encourage one another.

No matter where we are in our lives, there are some practices we can take up to eliminate the manipulative concept of “Real Men” altogether. As a Yoga Instructor and Massage Therapist, I participate in the emergent compassion connected to such undertakings. Therein lies something quite valuable, compassion itself is hardwired into particular actions and activities.

The Formula
Simply put, it is a formula that we all can appreciate, if we use the tools available to us, we will change. The majority of us are not going to receive overnight enlightenment, but we might feel better, breathe more deeply, and possibly even experience rare states of being, like contentment, empathy and even peace.

Once we realize that through action we can create change in ourselves, we can then postulate the role we can play in changing the world around us. On some levels that may seem quite obvious, but if it is obvious why are we as a culture in general, and men in particular, so seemingly deficient in not only compassion, but health?

We are all aware of the fast pace that the world around us is traveling at, but not everyone is aware that we can choose to participate or not. In cultures focused on agriculture, Men are connected to the natural world through their work, their labor.  The assembly line and cubicle have lessened our awareness of the cycle of life to the point where, in order to redefine our selves it is necessary to pursue and experiment with actions that will facilitate our reconnection. “Real Men” can be obliterated in the process.

The Tools
Three tools with benefits that can come quickly are Yoga, Massage and Diet. Many may perceive these approaches as easily accessible because once you begin using them they become quite natural. But it takes great courage to walk into your first yoga class. Here’s a guide to inform and inspire your journey.

Yoga
Yoga is dynamic. It means many things to many people as it has had centuries to evolve, shift and change while traveling across regions and continents. In our Western setting yoga, until very recently, was perceived as a women’s health activity. The “yoga boom” changed the demographics a great deal, but no matter if you’re waking into a room full of women or not, there are many things to be mindful of your first time out.

  • You should consult your Doctor before making changes to your exercise routine
  • Each yoga session is a little culture unto itself. Yoga is full of traditions, adaptations and social norms co-created by the students, the instructor and the space. At first you may not be able to see some of the more subtle aspects of this, so seek out and be open to instruction.
  • Ask around or search for local classes. Visit the website or the studio to get a schedule. Many studios post guidelines for classes that will help you to get acclimated.
  • Arrive early to class to get settled in and meet the teacher. It is a great honor to share yoga with someone for the first time.
  • Some people take yoga very seriously because that is what they want yoga to be, others practice with a sense of lightness and ease. Visit different studios, “try out” many instructors and traditions, so that you can find a yoga that fits you. Always be mindful that what fits one day may not fit the next.
  • Be gentle with yourself. Even if we are active, many of us quickly realize that yoga gets into muscles we rarely use. This, in addition to the common “no pain, no gain” mindset and our cultural association of yoga with gracefulness and ease give us a good reason to approach a new yoga class mindfully.
  • Remember that even though it is sacred, it is only yoga.

Touch
Human contact is essential to our development and well being, yet touching is a challenge for many. Respect is key in this. But Men can do something much more to reframe and reclaim touch, we can become more aware of how special and sacred it is. No matter whom we touch or how we touch them, it is always an intimate experience.

  • If you’ve never had one, schedule a professional massage. Massage is both a therapeutic modality and an Art form. Though we can’t just pick up the anatomy, physiology and technique required to provide a therapeutic massage, we can demystify touch and experience the health benefits first hand.
  • Cost being a factor these days, consider contacting a local massage school. Many schools have student clinics where massage is offered to the public at a discounted rate. Some of the best massages of my life have been from students.
  • Share this article with your partner, family or friends and open up a discussion about the health benefits of touch and massage. Consider the potential that this could have in reframing touch in your life.
  • If you have a partner, ask them if they would be interested in exchanging non-sexual touch. It’s important to express this and keep to it, as it will provide space for both of you to experience the benefits without pressure or expectations that are often bundled up with sex. Many find that drawing this line with touch improves many aspects of their relationships, including sex.
  • Whether you have a partner, family member or friend you can share touch with or not, touch yourself! Self-massage is a great way to experience the benefits. While many of us may massage our palms or shoulders when they are in pain, give yourself the opportunity to sit and explore the nooks and crannies of your palm and arm.
  • Finally, when you are practicing touch, listen to your partner and listen for your reactions. Keep the lines of communication open and always share what feels good in addition to things that don’t work. Be flexible and remember that this is sacred.

Diet
Food is another powerful tool that is extremely loaded in our culture. Food is actually one of the most frequently defined aspects of “Real Men.” They don’t eat this or they do eat that. The fact, that we all seem to forget all the time, is that “we are what we eat.” To kick the concept of “Real Men” we need to radically change our diets, eliminate the crap we have a tendency to eat because it is so easy, and try new things. For many, this is the toughest tool to get a handle on. These thoughts may help along the way.

  • Changing our food intake is not something to be taken lightly. Consulting your physician is recommended.
  • Increase your intake of whole foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and nuts)
  • Don’t fall for the “Protein Myth.” Eating whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and dark leafy greens, like spinach will provide you with all the protein your body needs.
  • Diversify your shopping habits. Many of us get into a rut when buying food. Rather than getting your food from one store, visit your local Farmer’s Market for your fruits and vegetables.
  • Try it RAW! Increasing the amount of raw vegetables and fruits that we eat will increase our overall health. We encourage eating at least 50% of every meal raw. Thankfully salad bars are easy to find, just be mindful of the dressings. Find a recipe to make your own dressing using healthy oils like olive or sesame.
  • Find a local healthy food meet-up group to meet others who are making similar changes. Having a support system in place and a resource for new ideas and recipes is invaluable in this work.
  • Like Yoga and Touch, we can do ourselves a great service if we look at the preparation, eating and sharing of food as sacred. Putting something in our mouths can be viewed as one of the most intimate acts.

Download the pdf: NA 0610 RealMenDon’tDoYoga

©EschatonLife

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Emergent Technology Zones

June 2, 2010

“Self-organization is a process of attraction and repulsion in which the internal organization of a system, normally an open system, increases in complexity without being guided or managed by an outside source. Self-organizing systems typically (but not always) display emergent properties.”

I am proposing that the City of Detroit establish Sustainability Testing Zones for the exploration of Open Social modes and models. These Sustainable Development Zones will facilitate the development and documentation of Emergent Technologies that will inform Land Use, Urban Planning, bridge the gap between people and government, Community Resilience, Economic Development and Cooperative and Community owned business.

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Stand, for a time, outside of time

It is a rare combination of fear and courage that has permitted a person like me to survive to this point. I’ve seen my brothers and sisters slit their wrists and get put away, I’ve seen the questions and the outrage silenced in my peers, and I’ve fallen into distortion and despair so many times that there’s no way I can blame them for losing their way.

It’s kind of staggering to stand, for a time, outside of time. To look out across a battlefield strewn infinitely with twisted and broken versions of yourself.

But, I AM here and I made it through what ever the hell THAT was. And as far as I can tell, though I’m a little more weak in body and spirit than before, I have made some friends and somehow managed to craft strong allegiances that have already stepped forward to support not only our work, but our family.