Community Service

So I was driving along the highway (freeway if you're from Cali) the other day and along the side of the road was a group of community service kids. It got me thinking. Here's my idea for a community service reform. Right now, they do things like clean the side of roads and stuff. While that has it's place, and it is a job no one else really wants to do, but does it actually teach these people anything. It's a mindless task that, while annoying, doesn't really require anything from them other than time. They walk away having done "their time" but not learning anything from it.

So here's my suggestion.

People who get assigned community service have to come up with a community service project to improve their actual community (or possbily the one the offended to get th punishment). Think about it though -- it makes them use their brains and it makes them own their punishment. They actually have to invest something of themselves into it. Now, there are definite things that would need to be figured out with this. Like each person coming up with their own project may be a little too much, but that's easily solved by creating teams of people that have community service. These teams would, of course, have to get their project approved by someone who works for the city. Someone who can say, that's a good idea, or that's not good enough. Even if it is just them cleaning up a specific area of their community, at least it is their community. And like, let's say they decide to clean up a park -- well then they can actually rehab the park versus just picking up garbage. Or creating a community garden or something. The possibilities are endless. They have to create it, make it happen, own it and hopefully learn from it.
Hmmm... maybe I should figure out who my alderman is.

Homeless... again. Le Sigh

So my best friend and roomate is moving back to Chicago. For six years or so, she tried to get me to move out to LA. I finally did, and now, a year later, she's moving back to Chicago. Funny how these things work out. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe we're just not supposed to be together. Perhaps we count on each other too much, so we don't push ourselves enough. Does that make sense?

Anyway, we had this home, and I left it and was so looking forward to returning only to find out that it's gone again. I'm leaving my cheap, cheap apartment to stay at my sister's for a bit. And then??? Who knows. Everyone keeps asking what I'm going to do now, and I really have nothing to tell them. I had some ideas, and then I read VELVET ELVIS, and it's shaken my existence. I have to reread it so I can figure some stuffs out.

So, I'm headed into the unknown once again. It's all very exciting, but also kind of exhausting, too. I kind of just want to chill for a while and put my soul at peace with no pressure from myself to do more, more, more. I guess that's me just being lazy. I'm tired of my soul being weary. I want some rest.