I was sitting in a café with a dear friend asking her advice on a community education project I am working on. We’re imagining the question, “What does it mean to be a citizen in the 21st century?” and we’re thinking of how to implement informal “schools” to develop poor people’s critical thinking and leadership skills. (I speak of citizen with a small “c” as in an engaged community member not related to national borders.)

During the conversation she asks me how long since I’ve been back from Kabul. I nonchalantly say, “about 10 weeks” and then in a split second I realize it’s only been 10 weeks! I stop short, my head snaps around and I say, “Girrrl, I can’t believe it.” She, of course, breaks out laughing as she just watched me think about what I said, change my mind, and surprise myself with my own thought!

Until this point, I had been feeling sort of bad, lonely, even lazy. I was feeling like I must not be doing anything useful because I haven’t written a witty Facebook comment or updated my blog. I was afraid of becoming obsolete!

The moment in the café helped me understand that I’m not a loser, I’m just not very good on quick chatty updates and brief synopses of my life. I need time. I need to relate to the listener (or reader).

I can’t write a tweet, but I can write a note. I love notes. Notes are wonderful ways of situating yourself in relation to something or someone else. A note is really about the writer and it allows you to get to know someone better. Even when people write more academic or professional notes, it’s a response that has been processed through someone’s mind at a specific moment in time. And notes can change. I can write a note about a note. It’s like the old fashioned version of a status update!

Is this experience re-tweet-able? … Probably not but I can tell you about it.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the internet and keeping up with friends through email and such (hello, this is an e-note!). but I hate the way social media has been monetized and turned into a competition. We feel the need to have more “followers”; the things we share get graded by the number of “likes” or “retweets”.

I want to share things with folks and stay in touch – hey, I’m writing this now – but not because I’m in a competition, because I want to share what’s on my mind and what’s exciting me. So now that I have a little more of your attention, here is my most twitter-esque update which succinctly expresses those deeply meaningful ideas rolling around in my head for the last 10 weeks:

I’ve been creating an exchange program between Afghan and Pakistani arts-for-change practitioners.
I’ve been creating a curriculum for an online school which teaches critical thinking and anti-oppression methods for teachers in Iran.
I’ve been preparing for my research in India this fall.
I’ve been thinking about how to use an arts and culture framework for critical analysis of our society and community engagement.
I’ve been helping a friend get an Institute for Oral Traditions started in Afghanistan.
How to see my close friends and family more.
I write this note to stay connected to you. I’d love to receive a note on this note. Let me know where your head has been in the last 10 weeks.

Love, K