Overload

Monday evening I attended the community discussion about race hosted by the African American Community Roundtable. Yesterday I was invited to participate in a small group discussion session by Howard Hughes Corporation on the upcoming pieces of Downtown Development. Later in the evening I stopped by the Oakland Mills Village Board Meeting because something important was on the agenda.

This is not the preferred life experience for an introvert.

Some days I despair of finding something to write about. Today there's so much swirling about in my brain that I can't find even one loose end where I can begin to unravel it all. If there is a mental equivalent to sorting laundry on wash day, I sure could use it now.

In the meantime, word of increased cuts that directly affect teachers, students, and support staff are beginning to emerge from HCPSS Central Office. Strangely there don't seem to be significant cuts to ever-increasing Central Office staff, public relations, the Gallup program, or Central Office perks. You would think they'd be putting students first. I'm just not seeing it.

The community continues to donate time, hard work, goods, services, and money to the Ellicott City recovery. The Ellicott City Partnership is doing great work. Tom Coale, Vice President of the EC Partnership, remarked yesterday that use of social media has greatly amplified the good that can be done. I agree. We don't have a daily paper, we don't have our own tv and radio stations, but Facebook has been a quick and comprehensive resource both for those affected by the floods and those wanting to help.

Monday I finally made it out to the Glenwood Library and then afterward for lunch at the Casual Gourmet. That's a complete post right there. It was just enough of a drive to make it a mini "road trip". We were close enough that we should have popped into the Howard County Fair, but the thought of the heat and humidity dissuaded us.

And now to decompress. See you tomorrow with more focus.