The Genesis of a Community Revolution

It's been forever since I have taken to this blank page and written anything. I have been so entirely focused on a new project that I co-founded, I just simply haven't had the mental energy to blog sufficiently.

Of course, I am going to tell you all about the project here, as I think you will be able to see why I am so involved.

A while back, several close friends and I were deeply affected by recent events in the world. We saw people using their own unique voices to change things in their own communities for the better. We decided that we needed to act on it, and so began our project, www.Jaspud.com. The entire site will be made up of communities of people, using their voice to make changes in their own communities. If you really think about it, we are all part of many communities in our daily lives. From a classroom, to our favorite places to shop, to various charities we believe in, to our city, states, and countries.

Our community leaders will be able to pose questions to their community members about how they can better serve them, from something as simple as "What should our happy hour special be for the next hour?" to as complex as where should the majority of our cash donations go for our charity. We will also suggest communities, so that people are made more aware of what is going on around them. Users are also completely anonymous.

That's the basic concept of our project. I will never forget the moment it all clicked for me. I was taking a shower and thinking about the people that have given their lives for their own "communities" to grow and succeed. Watching people in action, making their voice heard is amazing thing to see. While soaping my hair, all the pieces clicked into place. Everything we are about, this group of friends, and I , is part of the global responsibility we all have to make our own communities better. I feel so strongly that every single person needs to let their own voice be heard, but we need to do it ways that are effective. I hope that our new site will allow you all to do that.

Communities are open to anyone with an idea, a company, or a charity. Pretty much anything that effects your life, is part of your community. We are launching in just a few weeks and I hope you guys will take a second to set up your own communities or become a member of a community.

You can check out our Beta sign up page at www.Jaspud.com.

Follow us on Twitter @jaspudcommunity or on Facebook.com/Jaspud





Let me know what you all think!

Peace, love, and joy!

Lara

Eyes Wide Shut

There are moments in time that I revisit, getting lost in the sounds, textures, and smells of a long past experience.

Tonight, as I sit in a cozy house on a cool night, my mind drifts to other places. They seem so long ago now, the discomforts of the time reduced to vague recollections. The lessons I learned, guiding my way through the turbulence I am experiencing now. If it's true that we are what we do and have done, then I am a lot of things. Mostly good and some bad.

At this particular moment in time, I am reliving a guest-house in a remote part of Bali. It was after my surfing accident and during the time when I wasn't able to fly and stuck on the island, still in a considerable amount of pain. I was experiencing moments of clarity and moments clouded by dubious pain killers. I ventured away from the tourist areas, taking a bus to a remote part of the island, a launching off point for other islands. It was a tiny port village, hardly touched by the hawkers and touts of the other side. I went there for a change of scenery and to decide was I was going to do with my very near future.

The bus arrived in a dirt lot and we were all dump out. I found out that the area only had 4 guest houses and one internet connection. Of course, I had to stay at the place with the connection, feeble as it was. I hobbled down the dusty dirt road, stubbornly refusing rides on scooters, every step causing tears to well up. It was worth the walk. The place that I came upon, complete with an internet connection was the most charming place I had stayed at in all of my travels. Generator run and 2 stories of magic, it came complete with an open air restaurant and smiles. The jar of thick oatmeal cookies on the counter caused me an embarrassingly large amount of joy. I immediately booked a room and settled into a tiny room, separated from the others by bamboo walls. The bathroom, with a cold water shower was shared and numerous small mattress shrouded in nets lined the floor outside my room. Here, here was a place I could sink into and make a decision.

It was there, sitting at a table lite by candlelight, munching on a seafood plate, that I made the decision to come home because of my leg injury. It wasn't an easy decision. It was fear, relief, self-loathing, pride, and a little bit of joy mixed together to provide a state of mind that I am only beginning to accept.

It seems that the general mistake I made while traveling, though I tried to combat it daily, was missing the world around me and focusing instead, on my own discomfort. While I tried to fall into every moment and appreciate it for what it was, I didn't always succeed. I remember sitting at that table, the cool ocean breeze causing my candle to flicker and telling myself to forget the pain and to look around me. I did just that. And I'm glad I did. The memory of the pain I was in is long gone and what's left is the feel of the breeze on my hot skin, the smell of papaya and shrimp, the bright colors of the guest house only surpassed by the smiles of the people there, and the texture of the hard wooden chair beneath my legs.

Being back here and waiting for my leg to heal, I feel like I have fallen back into old patterns of walking with my eyes shut through life. Perhaps it's human nature to revisit places when you aren't happy where you are. I am telling myself now, while in this cozy little place I am at, yet so far from where I really want to be; soak it in, see it for what it is and ignore your own discomfort. There are lessons here to be learned if only I can see them.

Peace, love, and joy

Lara

Stand For Something

I have a friend who is a vegan, not only is she a vegan, but she actively promotes it as a way of life and is able to defend her reasons behind being one . She has been that way for years, and though I'm not one, I admire her for standing for something

The sad reality for me is that I see far too many people here not standing for anything but money and their own pursuits. Wrapped in a bubble of their own security often times made up of family, a house, and maybe a pet, they are cut off from the world around them. They refuse to look out unless it's through the eyes of reality TV and occasionally their Facebook feed. I find it disturbing that more people in the US seemed to care about what Charlie Sheen did this time then what is happening in their own cities, states, country, or in places like Egypt.

It upsets me that people are so very ignorant. I'm not talking about every one of you, but I am talking about a vast majority. I joined a group on Facebook supporting the protests in Egypt. At almost a million strong, it is amazing to see people from every country posting on it. People in Egypt come on the page and thank us for the virtual support. The other day, I happened to go to the page and saw a post by someone in the US military. He was in a uniform and standing in front of the flag. He commented "Not my problem what a bunch of blank blank N word people do, nor should it be." I took him to task immediately for that, it was embarrassing to me that someone representing the US would speak like that on a global forum that was entirely positive. The thing is, it's all of our problem if people in another country are not able to have the rights we in western civilizations enjoy. How can it NOT be? If you value your freedom, shouldn't you in turn, value the freedom that others have? Shouldn't you want the same things for other people? And if you don't then at least fight against people having those freedoms but in my book, being ignorant about the world around you is not acceptable.

What I'm trying to express here, is please stand for something. I don't care what it is. Just get off your asses, get out of your houses, and do something to make the world a better (or worse if you prefer) place. Try to do something bigger than you and your life and I guarantee your life will be better. And if you believe in something, then believe it enough to defend it, to educate people and to live it. That's what I care about, ignorance turned to action.

Trust me, Charlie Sheen will be ok without you glimpsing into his life.

Peace, love, and joy

Lara

Being Human Amongst the Beauty

Since my trip into the world has been put on hold while I take care of things here, I have spent countless hours remembering. Scouring pictures taken, hoping to recapture it, recapture the moments spent.

And my mind drifts to the same people I thought of while traveling, one person in particular. Someone that I felt around me when I needed to, while in reality, we were separated by thousands of miles, our dreams, and our hopes. When I didn't need to gather strength from my own silly daydreams, I strove to capture the beauty around me, reminding myself that it won't be there forever, that I won't be here forever and that if I shut my eyes for even a second, perhaps when I opened them, it would be gone.

At one particular point, I found myself on the Mekong River. I was on a rickety boat traveling the from Thailand into Laos. For two days, we traveled. Floating at a speed that seems impossibly slow now. I was joined by fellow wanderers and locals. A small Laotian boy sat next to me on the second day and stared at my skin for hours. He reached out his tiny little hand and poked it. I think it scared him because soon after he ran to his fathers lap.

We spent the night at a tiny village. Pulling into a makeshift dock as monks and children looked on. Our bags were thrown haphazardly in a pile and I didn't care. My things, the only possessions I owned in the world, didn't matter. How could they? I was in a village only accessible by boat in Laos. That night, I drifted off to sleep in the room rented with my friend Francine. Francine is a 75 year old American woman. She lives in a houseboat on an island in the Caribbean. That amazing woman traveled around the world, escaping hurricanes and her husband for months.

We woke the next morning and dined on a wooden patio overlooking the river, discovering soon after that the boat we came in on had been switched to one of fair lessor comfort and stability. The makeshift seats made up of old car seats were replaced with hard church-like pews and folding wooden chairs. I found myself in the back of the boat, trying to find a measure of comfort during the 9+ hour ride. I was also out of money, having neglected to exchange enough at the Laos border. Yet, the wonderful people I was traveling with did not let me go thirsty. Francine and I shared a bundle of sweet bananas and I drank Laos beer. At the time, I felt like that boat trip would never end. Now I wish that it never had.

Why is it so easy to miss the beauty around us? Focusing instead on our own inner struggles and the people that make up the fabric of those struggles. I realize now that I was so focused on things like finding an internet connection, my dwindling bank account, my aching back, the humidity that seemed to sit on me. If only I could go back and know that my various social media activities could have waited, I was in Laos of all places!

Earlier this week I drove over 4,000 miles. I tried to remember that lesson. I watched the mountains dwindle into plains, the sunset arching around the earth's circumference, the rain pounding on the tin roof, and the birds of prey circling in wait. It was pure beauty. And yet, my mind drifted to that particular person, so much closer yet still lost in dreams that are not mine. I am human after all.

Peace, love, and joy

Lara

I'll Know It When I Get There

With every passing of the old and bringing in of the new, my mind naturally drifts to rebirth. This year I get stuck. I have been traveling the US since I got back, searching for something that seems be getting further and further away.

I spent Christmas in New Orleans surrounded by strangers in a hostel. There was the crazy gay Scotsman that will be a lifelong friend, the two amazing Aussie girls, the hippie, wandering, motorcycle riding Swede, the adorable engineer from New Hampshire and an assortment of other characters that made up the fabric of my holiday. It was the best Christmas I have ever had. I felt at home for the first time in a long time and in the back of my thoughts, I think that there must be something wrong with me.

When asked where I live, I don't have an answer except that I am homeless but not indigent. I just can't seem to get excited about living someplace, living anywhere really. I am afraid of the settling down factor and I realize that it's not normal. I know that I am extremely blessed, being able to work from anywhere, all I need is an internet connection. A part of me wants my own bed to come home to, and a louder part of me wants to keep exploring. I am so very afraid of the very security that I yearn for at times and so I fight it with all I have. But then it changes once again and I picture a place with books and plants, a bed, a couch for friends to crash on, maybe I could even have a real grown-up relationship with a guy.

My only solution is to pick up my car tomorrow and hit the road. I plan to take back roads, completely skipping interstates and see where they take me. I'm hoping to chance upon a tiny town somewhere that screams at me to stay. If that fails, I will end up in Maine, as far North as I can go. A lobster town on the coast appeals to me a bit. Not the scream from the mountains excitement I am used to feeling, but still, it's something. In the meantime I am going to explore the fabric that makes up the US; tiny coastal towns, farming communities with one diner and a feed-store, the back-roads and bar lights, and the interesting stories that people will tell.

2010 was the best year I have ever had. Despite my still injured leg and all the trials I went through, I wouldn't change a single moment. I said last year, on the new day of the new year that I didn't want to not know where I would be exactly a year later and I am right there. I think my resolution will stay the same for this year, having that one option at the end of the year, to not really know where I am going is a good resolution to have and keep for me.

Thank you for reading my blog over the past year. I wish you all the happiest, most prosperous year possible. Keep dreaming, exploring, hoping, and knowing that you are all amazing.

Peace, love, and joy!

Lara

Not Fitting In

I crossed the street yesterday and forgot to look both ways. No, nothing happened. I didn't get even close to being in danger. I just simply forgot that rule.

Since I have been back in the US, I have been in a daze. I almost feel as though I boarded my plane bound for America and with each mile that passed, my mind became more and more clouded. I left a world that was so vibrate and so alive and came back to one that I'm not quite used to yet. Yesterday, I crossed that street and went into a Target to buy shampoo. I stood in front of the choices for several minutes and finally picked one. It all seemed so silly to me. It seems to me that too many choices only makes for a society that is hell bent on having even more choices. America is truly a land of consumers, always NEEDING the newest and the best thing and it just feels so empty to me. I in my own way, used to be a part of that.

Do you want to know the truly sad part? As I crossed that busy street, I felt a certain amount of shame. To not have a car and not be driving myself to the store made me feel ashamed. I spent months walking everywhere I could and can't remember once feeling like I wanted to drive. I would tell the myriads of cab and motorbike drivers in whatever city I was in that no, I didn't need a ride, I have 2 feet that suit me just fine. Perhaps it is me that is at fault here and memories of a past life lived are creeping in, or perhaps it's not just me that feels like I don't fit in if I don't have "stuff". I'm not really sure.

I'm also having a hard time getting used to the endless complaining about everything under the sun. Really? So the TSA wants to scan you? Well for Christs sake you MUST spend your precious time rallying against them. Now, don't get me wrong, I will always rally for equal rights for all in the USA and I will always join the fight for freedom of speech. But some of the things people get so worked up about here at home just seem so damn silly to me. I used to be one of you. It took actually leaving to get a broader picture of what is really important in life.

I really don't know where I am going to fit in here. I think I have a pretty good picture of how I want things to go, but its the getting there that is going to be the tough part. I am a firm believer in reinventing myself every moment, everyday, and every year, and I do know what I don't want. It's the getting there that is always the tough part. But maybe with each tiny shift in thinking, a sense of purpose will be regained.

Before I get any comments like "If you hate it here, why don't you leave?" I would like to point out how tiresome comments like that have become. If you yourself have absolutely no complaints about the USA, our government, and the way we are so absolutely consumed with things here, then perhaps you need to leave. Change has
never come to a person, a neighborhood, a city, or an entire country, with
complacency and complete happiness with the status quo.


Peace, love, and joy

Lara

Lost

As of late, I haven't been doing anything except bouncing here and there, tracing a route across the US and trying to figure out a new place in the world for myself.

I miss so much about Asia. I miss the masses of chaotic beings working together, I miss the curious stares children gave me in isolated regions, people touching my hair and my skin on bus rides, and the way the days melded one into the other. I miss Indonesia especially. A place that inspires with the people, the land and the seascapes. The spirituality seems to hang in the air there, just waiting to be soaked up. I came home, never thinking for a moment that I would feel more lost in my country of origin then I ever was while traveling to foreign places.

I came home quieter somehow, perfectly content with doing nothing except healing my body. I have been spent the past month surrounded by my loves and family and yet I have felt a bit like a stranger. It just all seems so sterile, so isolated, so futile and I don't yet know how to deal with my those new feelings.

I have decided to find a quiet corner of this vast country of ours and settle in for a bit. I plan to surround myself with books and plants and work tasks and somehow figure out what dreams I want to dream now. See, traveling the world was my dream for as long as I can remember and now that I have done it, I don't know what my new dreams are. Without dreaming I am lost.

Peace, love, and joy


Lara