Clare Consultation, LLCPosted on January 9, 2012 by Mary Clare
Here Comes New Hampshire — Time to Launch the 100 VOICES Primary Commentary
I want to see this country back to using its head. Just common sense. I’ve known some Congressmen and other people in Washington. They all kind of shrug their shoulders. I have a Congressman friend I asked, “How many Senators and Congressmen do you admire for their intelligence?” This man is very, very sharp. He said, “About 20%.” He said there are more idiots sitting in the Senate and in Congress than… Read More
Posted on December 11, 2011 by Mary Clare
Priming the EX:Change
Down the street @ Bloke http://blokepdx.com/, Justin-the-botanical-artist is well beyond priming – that happened back in October [EX:C blog, “Bloke – AKA, Barber Babes Redux,” 10-29-2011]. Now, since a few weeks before Thanksgiving, Bloke is hitting its prime for the cold weather Holiday season – the festivities that cry for decorative plants and flowers between Halloween and New Year’s Day. Every time I see him these days, Justin is a little breathless, but… Read More
Posted on December 3, 2011 by Mary Clare
Marsha and Nancy — How We Occupy Change
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the idea of having guest bloggers write to the original three questions of EX:Change and the 100 Voices. (EX:C blog, “These Questions Belong to You Now,” 10-22-2011) When you say the word change what do you mean? Alongside change, what is important to have remain the same? What would be concrete signs that positive change was occurring? Then I got email from Marsha Cuyjet – voice #48…. Read More
Posted on November 27, 2011 by Mary Clare
“In casual conversation, how long does it take before someone starts complaining?”
I had Thanksgiving Dinner at the home of a Nigerian-American family. My brother, Preston(since the dawn of our friendship we’ve been pretty sure we are twins separated at birth) and his wife, Michelle and their 5-year-old daughter, Rachel had invited me along on their Thanksgiving plans. Preston, the host couple and three more guests share the fact of long ancestries, birth, childhood and young adulthood in Nigeria. Although they did not meet… Read More
Posted on November 14, 2011 by Mary Clare
Office of Blame Accountability
Love is encouragement. Kindness is not weakness. Freedom is scary because, if I am truly free, I can’t blame anyone. These three statements came as small gifts over coffee and tea this morning with my friend Jim. You may recognize him from earlier blogs. Sayings like these are as natural, even essential to Jim as heartbeats. This morning we were talking about being people in relationships – love partnerships, friendships, kinships, acquaintanceships… Read More
Posted on November 7, 2011 by Mary Clare
Standard Time
I just got on the bus. It’s Sunday afternoon. As I enter, I step carefully around two people rummaging the floor; an older woman with “a serious disability, so I can’t stand up,” and a short balding man. Both are bent over and reaching to pick up the contents of a spilled purse. The large black handbag belongs to the young mom who sits at the front of the bus with an… Read More
Posted on October 22, 2011 by Mary Clare
These Questions Belong to You Now
I’ve had three meetings so far today. One with a Yaqui man who is a veteran and a student. “For me it is a question of balance,” he said. “Internal balance. External balance.” Half of his bagel sat on its small plate with one semi-circular bite gone for the entire time we talked. I also met with a woman activist. She had a question. “I’m just so curious about what people would… Read More
Posted on October 9, 2011 by Mary Clare
Video of this Week’s Book Release Event
Books shipped on October 1. By Thursday night at Annie Bloom’s Bookstore in Portland, OR the word was out enough to draw a full house for the first public reading from 100 VOICES – AMERICANS TALK ABOUT CHANGE. We were thrilled with the turn out and completely delighted with the fact that the store sold out of books. Now, thanks to the talent and generosity of friend and volunteer, Jesse Combs here… Read More
Posted on September 24, 2011 by Mary Clare
Book Release Invitations!
I just sent this email to the 504 people on my “EX:Change Friends and Family” list. Cool number, huh? 504. These are the people who, along the way — as I drove the highways of U.S. in early 2009 and in the time since have befriended me and the EX:Change project and asked to be kept updated. In ten days, what was once only and idea on a cold and rainy New Year’s Eve will show up… Read More
Posted on August 21, 2011 by Mary Clare
Book Publication and Press Info – YAY!!
One of the things about straddling the generations of print and electronic media is that I still don’t quite understand the genre of “blogging.” That means I don’t know if I’m within or outside of convention with this particular post. Now that I think of it, it’s quite possible the idea of any convention relative to blogging isn’t even relevant to the genre which is probably very cool. Whatever the case, here… Read More