Author: Al

10 Minutes a Month – Easy Tribal Potluck Dinners

Why potlucks?

Potluck dinners scale. More people showing up = more food. Sharing food and conversation is the keystone tribal/family activity.

I started organizing potlucks my last few years in college. I’d make a huge pot of beans for veggie burritos. The only rule: no one could take leftovers home. We’d eat for the rest of the week.

Simplest: Anarchist Potluck

  • Set a day, time, and location.
  • Invite people.
  • Refuse to offer suggestions or coordinate what folks bring.
  • If everyone brings salad, order pizza.

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5 to 20 Minutes a Month – Organize Hikes: Walking and Talking

Why?

It’s a great way to build community. In addition, it has significant health benefits to everyone that joins in:

The smart move is to combine them all.

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Introduction – What’s Here and Why

Why does this website exist?

I’ve always been interested in things that strengthen the community. That ranges from political organizing in my 20s (aimed at providing stable housing and keeping neighborhoods working as a communities) on to ongoing efforts to get folks together for potlucks, hikes, dance parties, family reunions and the like.

Recently I noticed that a variety of political and social commentators have names a strong network of friends as a key antidote to political craziness, social media manipulation, and even some negative health effects.

I agree and have argued the same. I’ve thought I’ve trying to add what I’ve learned to the pot.

What finally tipped this this website from concept to  reality?

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A Paucity of Words

What’s wrong with this picture?

Plutchik Wheel of Emotions
Plutchik Wheel of Emotions

This diagram above is from a course on user interaction design.  The teaching:

  • Motivation is tied to emotion. (Agreed.)
  • It’s important to understand that when designing user experience. (Agreed.)
  • And here are all the relevant emotions in one useful diagram! (Agreed…until I started thinking about it.)

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Build Bridges – Resource Links

Random list of possible resources for bridging political divides

The Chart – Keeping the Peace in Group Households

(Relatively) Easy Group Living: The Chart vs Keeping Count

I’ve lived with groups of people my entire life. Currently (at age 65) my wife and I live in a house with another couple and the last of the three ‘kids’, our son, Griffin, in his early 20s. We bought the house together some 25 years ago. This is not two flats. It’s one house with one kitchen, 2 master bed rooms and 3 other bedrooms plus living room, dining room, family room, and library.

Living with groups of people can create some conflict…most often around household chores. Thirty five years ago we figured out The Chart. It was a break-through!

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