how one knows it is summer . . . in santa cruz....

traffic ... crowds ... more traffic ... santa cruz in the summer (and most nice week-ends throughout the year.

but, hey!  we are a 'destination city' ... fame, no fortune, but hey!  it's santa cruz!!  the sun is shining; a light breeze; just another day in paradise!

ok, i'll stop!

we have two properties at the united methodist church in santa cruz; our church building on california st., and our church without walls on 17th ave.  on july 27th, we will worship and picnic there ... and have a blessing for the the mesa verde community garden.  come join us!

so, really, how one knows it is summer in santa cruz ... roller derby, of course.  I went to see the santa cruz team play the sacramento team last Saturday night.  my problem, of course, is that i served in sacramento for 11 years, and have just begun serving my second year in santa cruz ... how does one decide which team to root for?!

my memories of roller derby go back to my grandma in bakersfield.  when i was a mere child visiting on those hot summers, grandma would turn on her swamp cooler, put away her deck of cards, and we'd watch the televised game -- which, as i remember, was a lot rougher! 

the santa cruz/sacramento game seemed much more tame -- perhaps it was the penny ice cream being served that kept everyone cool and 'sweet'.  all in all, an awesome experience, and my first time at a live game in the kaiser pavilion. 

last night i attended a community meeting in which the mayor pro-tem, don lane, is preparing for his leadership as mayor in december.  don has been exploring the possibility of what it might mean to santa cruz to be a 'compassionate city'.  don is soliciting ideas around this subject, and drawing feed-back from the community -- including the faith communities, with some very empowering results.

those who gathered last night shared what the word 'compassion' might actually mean, and how that meaning might be translated into the community/political realm.  definitions such as empathy, sharing and listening (really listening!) were bandied about; the thought of organizing a day of compassionate service, working with those who are homeless and recently released from incarceration; working toward a place of healing and forgiveness; overcoming fear!  incorporating the uc students who have already created a time of listening and sharing at their university café events; working with youth to further the exploration and understanding of diversity.  we began to think about ways to humanize the community, to set up opportunities for mentoring, and to expand the understanding of 'civinomics' to create transformational change. we shared thoughts about how to be a city that is more civil; to love and repair the city of its brokenness ....

yes, there is traffic ... crowds ... and more traffic.  but in times such as these, it seems like a perfect summertime activity to work at being more compassionate -- not just in santa cruz, but throughout the world .... your thoughts?