Jill Foster

I’ve been hiding.

I’ve been hiding from reality while convincing myself I was somehow efficient & achieving life balance.

Ego & MO
Realistic or not, something in me thinks I can solve ‘the universe’. Yet at the same time, I want to solve the universe my own dang way. I want to solve the universe with community building, social tech, long-term thinking, a chance to join & build teams with optimistic people. Let’s solve the world. Let’s get results.

But it’s gotta be fun.

Let’s pile on the fun while I’m saving the universe with fun people. I’m eager - thrilled - to take on tough issues when a sense of fun abounds. Who cares my husband and I have millions to go before we make our millions. If we crack eachother up during the quest, it’s all good (why? cuz we’re havin’ fun!).

I’ve walked away from projects, from clients, & from a few friends because their lack of fun & joy. Maybe that’s rude or short-sighted or relational suicide. Or maybe it means I’m not the Mahatma.

Bottom line, bring on the fun challenges. With them, life is good, balanced, & something I can handle. With this paradigm of fun, I can build, conquer, & transcend.

BRING IT!

When life lacks fun or balance: a jack ass takes a beat
So my fun, high-horse philosophy is not only ‘high’ but as of late - morally blind.

I do not know what to do with China’s earthquake in Sichuan Province. Or Myanmar & their government & starving thousands.

It’s not fun. It’s one big dose of hard, complex devastation. And I haven’t known what to do except ignore it & have fun thinking about my projects, my life, my work, my 401k, my mission, my man, my quest, my bad jokes.

From this sunny, peaceful, in-tact-with-plenty-of-food cafe in Northwest DC, I’m realizing my not knowing what to do with these tragedies is irrelevant. What matters is my decision to care and act on a conscious level - even though it’s not fun or toward a clear-cut solution for the people in those countries.

I feel compelled, in all my imperfection, to do something more than hide.

What matters is understanding I have the gigantic luxury to decide to act at all. It’s a humbling thought that inspires humility & nausea all at once.

Since vomiting on myself out of shame proves useless.

Since social tech is a powerful thing - ready to connect & empower the many.

Since it’s never too late to look beyond one’s self-absorption.

And out of respect for those who have feared and lost yet still try to recover…this jack ass offers below:

• In China, he drives (10) trips a day;
• On Myanmar, Laura Fitton (@pistachio) shares her ownership & tremendous information;
• On Myanmar farmers, replacing their water buffalo, & CARE’s ongoing effort in the region;
• From ReliefWeb, on humanitarian efforts for both countries;
• On underground channels used to transport help.

UPDATE

• For some photoblog beauty & inspiration on how to help relief efforts in China.

Tonight, DCWW members from across the land will take it up a notch!

The mission of fostering women’s opportunity in IT, Web design, & social tech will manifest in one big soiree tonight honoring our 13th year in action.

Join us!
…and you bet, men are welcome.

PodcampDC launches tonight at Capitol
City Brewery, Capitol Hill…oh the mounting momentum.

One minute audio:
A hilarious encounter unfolds with a fun stranger intrigued by dolphins & tulips.

The brilliance! The smiles! …presenting some ofDCWW’s FOSE volunteer team for 2008!

And some other players…: