Message to a young woman who asked about the Friday workshop at The Rack

You are a busy young woman! I am delighted that you would like to drop by on Friday ... or any Friday you can make it. There really isn't anything you need to bring except yourself plus your "computing device of choice."

Beginners are more than welcome, they are essential ... and a huge reason why I am being low key about recruiting.

I am looking for those individuals who are motivated to explore what we are doing because it interests them. And it may take some time to assemble that core group, but it is essential that none of us feel obligated more than being motivated by our interest. However, the goal is to be able to support ourselves economically from the "fruit of our labor," from what we do. On the other hand that goes without saying, I suspect.

Also, there are numerous structured courses that someone can take and we are not competing with them. A significant problem -- from my pov -- is that a person has to sign up and put down the money in order to really get a feel for whether they want to seriously pursue either coding apps or creating content. So my approach is to "come on down and kick/pass the ball around a bit" to see where it leads.

The downside is that many of our youth aren't attuned to this type of "open court" interaction outside of sports, but I remember it well from the brief times I would hang out with the Beats (Beat Generation) in North Beach in San Francisco in the early 1960's. And it's the story of the Village and what is now happening in enclaves in Brooklyn and elsewhere ... and I think (as I wrote recently): "The Rack is a sweet spot on Springfield Ave, a thoroughfare that runs in a straight line from the heart of Newark to the upscale community ot Millburn, a New Jersey affluent Township, with the two ends converging in Maplewood ... and now with The Rack to channel the synergy of this dynamic confluence of diversity."

It is this multicultural, diverse ethnicity & socioeconomic confluence with so many young people from so many different backgrounds, but all speaking the same language with common symbols to coalesce/converge around ... well, I think it is one of the most exciting places on the planet for potential. And I will keep trying to put together the right ignition switch to turn it on to creating for the digital universe ... coding apps and creating content ... the gold mines and oil fields of opportunity for today's youth with talent because while privilege can grease the skids for talent, it can't be effective without it. And motivated talent if given opportunity will create wealth, which is the history of the middle class, especially in the USA ... from the first settlers through the gold rushes, through homesteading, through drilling for oil ... and other endeavors with "open enrollment" as it were ... and this is not to try to teach you something you don't already know, it is explaining my "world view."

And just as we had towns and cities with their commerce grow up around the gold and oil fields, the farming communities, we have the "Silicon Valley-style" economic growth around the new mother lode of the digital future. And being so close to NYC, we're a natural ... and if we can meld our diversity into creating our future then I believe we will have also created a community that will thrive in the manner of our (at least my) ideals: an economically strong, well-educated, creative and productive middle class that provides "space" for every individual to fully grow positively (need I qualify it?) into their existence as a human being.

Anyway, I go on and on ... and I look forward to seeing you on any and all Fridays that you wish to come. It's an open court. You can run with the ball.