Over the last few blog posts, I hope I have made you think a bit differently about your place plans in the finally arrived Place Season of Spring and shortly, Summer too. Whether you vacation to your Side Place, go on a Staycation, or go home to your First Place, my goal with this series was to get you to think more about your relationship with place in different contexts so you can be more aware and deliberate about how you spend your time and your resources (two very precious things). Also precious is the relationship you have and develop with your chosen place(s). For, like all other important relationships in our lives, it too affects every aspect and influences whether you will thrive or not. So it is time well-spent.
Me, personally, I will be sticking close to home this Spring. But I’ll be immersed in place. First up, for me, on April 6th and 7th is acting in a Murder Mystery theater show. In this show, I’m a mystic who channels and predicts by singing snippets of popular songs, if you can imagine. Community theater “plays” an important role in creating place and it can truly be a powerful vehicle for shaping and reflecting community. It’s also a great way to “support local” in a unique way. I encourage you to come out and see me in Holly Springs for the show if you’re in the Raleigh area, but get your tickets now, as we are almost sold out both nights.
Additionally, I’ve been selected to become a grave gardener in the Oakwood Cemetery. It’s not really as creepy as it sounds, I promise. This historic cemetery is the final resting place for many local and even national notables, with burial sites dating back to 1869 and continue up to present day. Some of the early monuments were constructed to be mini-gardens, especially for children’s burial sites. However, many of these sites are no longer planted because descendants have either moved away or have joined their family in the cemetery. So Oakwood Cemetery decided to allow local residents to apply to restore those mini-gardens. Grace (my daughter) and I were allowed to pick our own memorial site this past week and we picked a well-known one. Soon we will begin the process, with the cemetery-provided gardening and historical expertise, of designing, planting, and caring for this garden to honor the site.
See? There are all kinds of placemaking out there waiting for you to discover and explore. Always look for the unusual suspects in place!
The Woodlands, courtesy West Philly Local
Photo Courtesy, The Woodlands
In the coming weeks, I will also head back to my First Place of High Point for world-renowned Furniture Market for a little work and to enjoy the “market experience” for the first time in 30+ years. Just when you think you are out, they pull you back in! As with many ultra-local place traditions with an established history and legacy, a lot of the activities at the High Point Furniture Market need to be documented and shared.
Lastly, I want to sneak peek some things coming soon from me:
- I’ll soon be launching an interactive feature for you to better understand what relationship stage you’re currently in with your place!
- Also, I’m working on a way to bring together people from all over the world in a virtual place, and I’ll have more details on that very soon.
- If you haven’t already, sign-up for my e-newsletter, The City Doctor Journal, where exclusive updates and placemaking news are distributed.
Im constantly surprised by your innovative character, and your ability to channel that innovation so effectively!