Thursday
Jul012010
Spontaneous Community in University Glen
Thursday, July 1, 2010 
A peaceful neighborhood nestled in its own valley a mere 5 miles from the coast in Camarillo (CA), University Glen has been a delightful place to live, grow, learn, and love. The neighborhood's tranquility has provided an escape from the worldly hustle and bustle, making for a wonderful place to to marinate my mind in artistic theory and philosophy while enjoying the beauty of the physical space around me. Brooke and I have had the privilege of spending our first two years of marriage here, and it is an experience that we will never forget.
When I reflect on what I love most about this place, undoubtedly it is the sense of community that has grown steadily for two years now. Community growth accelerated quickly when our neighbors Kyle and Lauren introduced Cornhole, a magnificent game involving the tossing of corn-filled canvas bags into a wood cut holes from 27 feet. Since then, many blissful afternoons and evenings have been passed tossing bags into holes. There have been intense battles, staggering defeats, incredible comebacks, and World Cup style dramatics, keeping us healthily addicted to the toss.
"change will only happen if we can continue to step out of our routines each day and focus our minds on filling one hole at a time."
All of the action has drawn many of our neighbors into the Cornhole arena (our grassy common area), unleashing an abundance of character and personality from a broad range of individuals. This mix of personality has created a dynamic fellowship, allowing individuals to enjoy, define, and measure themselves against others. I can say for myself that playing this game in such a beautiful space with these inspiring people has provided a much needed sense of traction and created valuable relationships that simply wouldn't have existed had we all been locked inside our houses. And in this particular time of economic struggle and hardship, our spontaneous community gatherings have provided more than just escape from troubles...They've provided me with a hope for broader positive and dynamic change.
But this change will only happen if we can continue to step out of our routines each day and focus our minds on filling one hole at a time.
New University Glen pool facility
Kyle and Vince debate the score.
tagged 93012, CSUCI, california, camarillo, illustration, university glen in illustration
93012, CSUCI, california, camarillo, illustration, university glen in illustration 
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