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From: Aunty Alias <antalias@pacbell.net>
Date: Sat Feb 5, 2005 6:37 pm
Subject: Some thoughts about The City List Family
James and I have this on going discussion about the
phenomena of The CITY lists. Why has it taken off so
quickly? Why so many volunteers jumped at the chance
to start lists of their own under The CITY banner?
What was my role in this?
I'm a Rabble Rouser, that's obvious. Sometimes I wait
for the Secret Thought Police to bust down my door and
arrest me for stirring up the masses. For suggesting
to folks that it is ok to have fun and be nice to one
another. Because it's so against the grain of what we
experience elsewhere that it is down right dangerous
thinking.
What am I saying to the volunteers really? Outside of
reminding them of the common courtesy guidelines that
could have improved the former list family. It comes
down to giving people permission to enjoy themselves,
to follow their bliss, to delve into topics that they
hold dear. Then to gather around them people who share
that same passion.
Living in a consumer society artists are often
denigrated as being selfish. "Oh you think your
thoughts and feelings are so important that all you
want to do is express them?"
yes
For we live inside of our heads. Unless we're psychic
our thoughts are the only thoughts we originate. The
other thoughts and images that come in are usually
from mass media and I feel that mass media is out to
screw with our brains. Mass media makes us feel bad
about something so someone can sell us a product or
service to make us feel less bad.
It's more economical not to buy into those memes in
the first place. Bypass the "feeling bad" programming
by ignoring what commercials have to say.
What do we need really? Food, shelter, clothing? What
do we need after that? Status items so our friends and
relatives can feel bad that they don't have those
things? Not really. The next thing we need is an
outlet to express ourselves.
Every society will go through those steps: food,
shelter, clothing, and then comes some sort of
celebratory happy dance. Some sort of creative
expression. "Boy am I happy that I'm fed. Man O Man am
I happy that I have shelter from the rain. Golly Gee
I'm happy that I'm protected from the cold with my
glad rags."
Humans don't develop a sense of self from being a wage
slave and what do they do with the money they make.
That's the biggest lie that is perpetrated on us by
mass media. Most folks find that they spend money out
of the anger and frustration of having to work a job
they hate. Spite Spending. Then the things they get
don't give them as sense of satisfaction.
What gives us a sense of satisfaction, an increased
sense of self esteem, a feeling of self worth?
By the things we create, or by the sense of
accomplishment that comes when we did a thing by dint
of effort, like quitting smoking or loosing weight.
How does this tie into The CITY lists? People are
social by nature. It's difficult sometimes to find
other folks in our locale who share the same
interests, who like to chat about the things you like
to chat about. Be this cooking, caring for pets, or
the designing of webpages.
So the other thing that The CITY lists provide is a
positive community of like minded people, with whom
one can chat about things that mean something to us.
The concept of a virtual CITY, or a collection of
Cities, held together with just a wish to connect with
others who enjoy the same things, in a structure that
is peaceful, loving, nurturing as well as possibly
informative is a phenomena.
This virtual community is a "creation" in and of
itself. It's a structure that is akin to a shared
hallucination. We come together to agree to be kind to
ourselves and to others. We gather in good fellowship
to share the positive things in our life. We are
protected from spam and negativity isn't allowed to
get a foothold.
Where else in our lives can we find this? Not on TV.
Not on the streets in real life. Not on the highways
filled with the road rage of wage slaves who think
they need the status symbols that money can buy.
The CITY List Family is a shared mental construct. It
gives us a sense of community over the miles,
traveling on electrons, bringing new friends and
allies into our lives. Online friends who like the
same things we like. Allowing us to congregate in good
fellowship with like minded folks who are also willing
to observe common courtesy.
I think of us as those "thousand points of light",
that's why I love that night time picture of the world
on the temporary home page of the CITY list website.
http://www.city-lists.com
Those sparking points of light are all of us sharing
this sense of community. Being involved with the CITY
lists we are changing the world, because we are
changing ourselves by following our bliss. By reaching
out for the positive and creating or being involved
with activities that mean something to us in a real
way, we change our lives. As we are changed we effect
a change in the lives of those around us. For none of
us live in a vacuum.
This positive change in all of us becomes a magnet,
for our friends, for our families who want to become a
part of a positive experience.
Some folks say that online friends aren't "real". I
don't agree. The friends I've made online, through
this list have become more meaningful than "real life"
acquaintances, because we share what's in our heart of
hearts. We are supported and encouraged to follow our
bliss. We have found kindred spirits.
It must have been something that people needed or it
wouldn't have taken off so quickly. I can't tell you
how many times people have written to me about
negative experiences they've had on other lists. That
they unsubbed from lists in the former list family,
except for this one, because negativity got a foot
hold.
In a world filled with images that are horrific, with
TV shows that glorify belittling people, or where
people would do "anything" for money, these lists are
havens to get away from all that stuff. People are
taking mental shelter on The CITY lists because all
volunteers must state in writing that they will abide
by the guidelines of common courtesy.
Again, I'll say, it must have been needed, this mental
shelter, this refuge from the "feel bad" programming
that's "out there". For if it were not needed this
list family would not have taken off so quickly, grown
so fast.
That's why I feel like the Secret Thought Police will
bust down my door. "You're making folks feel good
about themselves. They won't buy our products or
services. They are making things by hand, making their
own soap, designing their own webpages. You are a
danger to society as we know it!"
So then society as we know it needs to be changed and
know that all of you are part of that positive change
by being involved with The CITY List Family.
It's a conspiracy to improve the world by starting
with ourselves first and then rippling out to our
families and our communities. It all starts with that
one spark of light that is the neat idea you got in
your head to create what you love, love what you
create.
Thank you for being part of the great conspiracy to
change the world into a more positive place.
xoxo
NJ |
