A Declaration

For sometime now, Jessie and I continually discuss the going-on’s of Howard County/Columbia from a perspective of curiosity, frustration, eagerness, and dare I claim - wisdom. Inside of our conversations, I personally, have been exploring the questions of:

What is it to live here?
What is the value I have to contribute, and
Why would I want to do anything different than I am already doing?

I don’t have complete answers to these questions, but they serve as a place to stand, an outcropping from which to view life in Howard County. I have lived in this county since 1990, a long time in my experience. I have been one of those county residents that moves to Howard County because of a home, the location to a major airport, and stayed because of the school system. It’s only been with the last couple of years I have even been interested in these questions. I became interested primarily because the man I married moved here to be with me, and he found this place dreadful; very difficult to meet people, plug in or even just have fun. He challenged me to create a community two years ago, and I have been pursuing that challenge ever since.

Today, I am ready to take the knowledge, the thinking, the observations and present an opening statement about how I, Cherie Beck, can be involved in this community.

There are four major areas of focus in my opening statement. Each one represents an aspect of involvement in alignment with my competency. Generically, these are big picture elements which I see as fundamental to shaping a future for Living Locally a regional social system; an integrated, functional, intelligent, learning system that proactively supports all residents that participate in it to thrive. Participation is, in a democratic nation, a choice.

1. Core value needs in a human social system (in America)
2. First organizing step: Office of Integration
3. Initial Thoughts on a Functional Vision
4. Personal ‘Thinking Buddy’