carolstimmel.net

via Jud Valeski

Meme(Me)

1. Take a picture of yourself right now.

2. Don’t change your clothes, don’t fix your hair…just take a picture.

3. Post that picture with NO editing.

4. Post these instructions with your picture.

One of my side affections is beautiful buildings.  This makes it all the more painful that I’ve yet to visit Italy (as anyone who follows my tweets @traktrgrl, knows has recently been annoying me).  When Don Olson and I wrote The Manager Pool: Patterns for Radical Leadership (Software Patterns Series) we took our inspiration from Christopher Alexander, the architect, who identified what he called a Pattern Language.  He believed there was a timeless way of building that could be identified, within which we all feel alive. With A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series) as our guide we worked to identify a structure, through a series of patterns, wherein a software worker would be motivated, creative and inspired.

I read a blog called The Web Urbanist. They recently posted an amazing post of pictures of incredible homes from around the world.  Some of the architecture identified is phenomenal in how it emerges from nature itself.  Their scheme is coherent and beautiful.

Amazing Homes

These homes are living organisms to me, as if they emerged like the stars.  They have their own life.  Like Christopher Alexander, I believe that if we make simple observations, see how things work and study them, we can distill and catalogue the essentials.  And these essentials can actually apply to shared human experience and common feelings.

Image via Wikipedia

Sure, redoing my blog for the 5th time seemed fun at first.  I have had upwards of 4 blogs at any one time that always starts with a burst of focus and energy and flashes out as I become exceedingly bored with myself.  Besides, it’s so easy to tweet my way through the day (follow: traktrgrl); but even then what starts out as ooooh Ambient Intimacy, soon becomes mind-numbing.  As you can see, I haven’t even posted here since March 9th and the raw count of my tweets has dwindled to a couple a week.

In March, I quit my job as Director of Engineering at Me.dium, Inc. Nothing personal, it was really more of a lifestyle choice.  I’ve been involved in startups at some level for almost 10 years and after almost 2 years as Director at Me.dium, I just wanted to flex some other brain cells.  I wish the team at Me.dium nothing but success (hey, after all, I’m still an “owner” as options do vest) and still like to stop by when I can.  Keep your eye on this company.

Lot’s of stuff happened since then, and I’m not really sure if blogging about it will provide any curative powers.  Most horribly, I lost a friend Kevin Haythe in July; a man who deeply affected me in such a short time with his intelligence, humor, and deep thoughtfulness.  I sorely miss him.  I keep myself busy and try to push the loss to the edge, but miss the future promise of our relationship.  Besides, one can’t stay busy all the time even if you try, a void has a tendency to stay empty.

Kevin Haythe

So, I’m back.  I plan on restarting the conversation online and in the wet world - sharing the things that are on my mind; green technology, the sociable web, and Sarah Palin’s hairstyle.  And to Kevin, rest in peace my friend.  I’m finally ready to let you find your way.