Learning Communities

I'm reading this great book Turning Points right now, about alternative education, and I'm just loving those stories about free (as in freedom) learning communities. That's what I want. I want to be with a group of people interested in learning. I want to be in a space devoted to learning (and doing). I want to explore and collaborate freely. This doesn't seem like too much to ask. Matt Hern's story in the book was most inspiring to me. The Purple Thistle Center he and his wife created seems like beautiful. What an opportunity! But type of thing should exist for people of all ages. Collective learning shouldn't stop once we get our degrees. We need collaborative learning and arts centers all over the globe. This type of activity is essential to the life I want to live and it probably would be much appreciated by most other people too once they actually start doing it.

What motivated to write this blog post? Well, lately I've felt less motivated. I still read on a regular basis, but it's with less vigor. Many times I'm just thinking "what do I want to do?" Often, I come up with no good answer. But tonight as I was laying in bed, trying to go to sleep, I thought: I want to study economics! It felt great. A recognizable desire. It's exciting to want to learn something and to decide to do it. It's exciting to know what you want and to decide to make it happen. What types of environments foster this type of thinking and action? I think the Purple Thistle Center does. I want one in my neighborhood!