Free Wishes

(Photo courtesy of Jeff Chan)

So it took me a couple months to get the pictures ready and another few months to finish writing this...

I went to visit the Market Collective back in March. It was my first time seeing it since being back in Canada, and it was also something I hadn't done pretty much since Market Collective first came into existence.

Market Collective is just one of numerous initiatives in Calgary that have taken off in recent years, connecting local artists' works and products with the surrounding community.

My main motive for dropping by the March Market Collective was to see the Free Wishes project set up by Jeff Chan and Jamie Hobbs. I learned from Jeff Chan's blog that Free Wishes was a community project he originally did with Jamie Hobbs at the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. I didn't know this, but according to Jeff, more people die from suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge than any other location in the world.

Jeff and Jamie aimed to turn this location into a place of hope, even if for only a few moments, by inviting anyone to come and write down their wish on a rock.

Jeff and Jamie then brought the project to their hometown of Calgary, so I thought I would go check out the project, as well as write down a wish of my own.

It turns out that they put up a number of posters for people to write down their wishes. I did think the rocks were more interesting, but then I realized the great thing about these posters was that people were responding to each others' wishes. My favorite was one that said, "I wish we could have a rainbow everyday," to which someone else wrote, "but then it would rain everyday..."

(Photo courtesy of Jeff Chan)

As for my wish:

Visit Jeff Chan's website: jeffchanat.blogspot.ca
Visit Jamie Hobb's website: jamie-hobbs.com

フリー ・ ウィッシュ

(写真提供： Jeff Chan)

今年の三月に久しぶりにうちの Market Collective （マーケットコレクティブ）に行ってみました。久しぶりだと言いますが、本当は何年ぶりになりますね。このイヴェントが始まったころから行ってないかな。。。

Market Collective は新ローカルアーティストの作品を町の人々へつながる為の取組です。

今回行ったきっかけは Market Collective の一部として、ローカルアーティストのジェフさんとジェーミーさんが Free Wishes というプロジェクトをやるおかげでした。Free Wishes の始まりは２０１１年ジェフさんとジェーミーさんが San Francisco （サンフランシスコ）の Golden Gate Bridge （ゴールデンゲートブリッジ）に行った時です。 Golden Gate Bridge は有名な観光地ですが、どうやら世界で自殺率の一番高いロケーションにあるそうです。

そんな場所を一時的にでも、希望のある場所に変えてみたかった二人は橋を通っていた人たちに自分の望みを石に書いてみると誘ったそうです。



今度は自分のふるさとで Free Wishes が発生しましたから、あたしも少し参加できました。　石ではなかったけど、みんなは大きなポスター紙の上で自分の望を書きました。石の方が美術的だと思いましたが、ポスターだからできたお互いへの返事が面白かったです。一番気になったのは、「毎日虹がありますように」と誰かが書いて、「なら毎日雨じゃん。。。」ともう一人が答えたのです。　（笑）

(写真提供： Jeff Chan)

で、私の願いです。
また存在しない言葉を使っちゃいますけど～
Possibilitarian - 珍しく、この言葉は誰か他の人も使いそうな言葉です。
その定義とは、可能を信じる者、です。

Jeff Chan　のウェブサイト: jeffchanat.blogspot.ca
Jamie Hobb　のウェブサイト: jamie-hobbs.com

Friends

Lately I've become bogged down with an undercurrent of stress. I know I can deal with a lot of things and I always try to change things up to keep the good and minimize the bad, but sometimes circumstances slowly strip away my spiritual energy.

I deal with my fast paced life by retreating into mu-ness (無 mu: nothingness, emptiness; serenity, peace, zen) and introspection; the more "undercurrently" stressed I am and the less "retreatment" time I have, the less I want to face outwards and deal with outward things like having parties and talking to people (albeit great people).

Today I am finally catching up with some messages and came across some left for me by a friend in Japan. Her honest and open generosity really warmed my heart and reminded me again of how some really amazing people there, and anywhere, have become a part of my life despite some of the setbacks I experienced.

Even though I need time alone and don't always want to interact (can you imagine? Interacting? Like, who does that, ever)  ... it's so nice to have sweet messages waiting for me whenever I take a peek out from under my shell.