the geographic standard

The geography standards put forward from the National Council of Geographic Education remind me where my obsession with things place-based originated:

People’s lives are grounded in particular places. We come from a place, we live in a place, and we preserve and exhibit fierce pride over places. Our sense of self is intimately entwined with that of place. Who we are is often inseparable from where we are. Places are human creations and the geographically informed person must understand the genesis, evolution, and meaning of places.

Where we’re from is so fundamental that sometimes it’s hard for me to focus in on the “small” picture and just live. In some ways, the stage is already set for the little girl. We’ve made a Californian, a San Franciscan, no less, and that basic fact will always be a part of her, but when she’s older and she writes stories and draws pictures, I want her internal dialogue to be rich and productive. I want her surroundings to inspire creativity, not just opposition. She doesn’t need a rose-colored filter on her microscope, but I do hope she has an understanding that places are unique (even in this age of the Internets).

the premise

I imagine this to be a sort of virtual bulletin board as we try to figure out where we belong and what to call home. I’m coming at this as one half of a couple, as a parent, as a geographer with some training in how, where and when communities form, and as a mindful early twentyfirstcenturian, agnostic but interesting in carving out a life with a purpose. What I’d like to explore:

where to live in terms of geography.

where to live in terms of setting–rural, urban, etc.

how to understand and manage the pressures of life today–two careers, avoiding long commutes, overpriced real estate, overdependence on cars, and too much time computing, not enough creating.

refinements to follow.