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| From New Album 06/05/2009 08:13 |
I went to an new initiative in Bristol this week called Happy City, which seemed like a good idea. It is basically a networking idea that puts people who are trying to do good things in their community in touch with others doing the same thing or those who would like to have a go. It is also trying to change our perceptions of what is happy, I'm not a great one for leadership games, I get embarrassed and try to hide, but there were some interesting ideas. One thing we had to do was go up to a stranger in the room and ask them about something that had made them thoughtful that week - I asked a man in his 40s I guess. He said he was walking with a friend in the Mendips and she had said she thought cities needed more uneven surfaces to walk on - nothing in nature is dead flat, walking on uneven ground is natural and makes us feel more connected to the surface of the earth. I can see what she means - stand by Bristol City Council for some humongous accident claims though.
He also said he was about to become a father for the first time - quite late in life - and he is terrified about the effect it will have on his life - so he prayed and he said something definitely "shifted". Amazing the conversations you can have with strangers.
I gave a talk last night at a musical evening for Catholic primary schools focusing on caring for the earth. it was lovely - really uplifting. I showed a couple of clips - including this one - some pictures set to Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. David Ogden is conducting. The children sang some lovely songs - What a Wonderful World, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, Let All Creation Sing, Sent By the Lord Am I, Consider Yourself At Home and others - great.
St Bedes 4.mp4
Good for schools, they are really taking this on board.
