In the economic meltdown, the specter of homelessness looms over many people who once felt secure. So, when PlatteForum and Lighthouse Writers Workshop gave me the opportunity to create a short film exhibit on the theme of community, I wanted to relate that topic to homelessness. We often hear that Americans have lost their sense of community. I wondered, “Have I?” We often hear that homeless people have “fallen through the cracks.” I wondered, “How do they hold onto community?” Homes Within, Communities Without is a pair of digital stories in which a young homeless woman and I each explore our experience of community. Audrey Haynes lives just two miles from me, yet worlds apart. Still, we share one important desire: to connect.

You’ll find Audrey’s brief video below. Next week, I’ll share mine. I hope you’ll watch both, and that they’ll prompt you to share your own thoughts. What connects you to community?

Homes Within, Communities Without: Audrey from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

The Life of an Adventurous Woman from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

For years, I wasn’t a joiner. I felt socially awkward. I cherished my independence, and feared group-think. I had interests in common with some groups, but found they either took things too seriously, or not seriously enough. After years of dancing to my own drum, I’ve achieved a strong sense of self. But, recently, I’ve been running into people who dance to a beat that harmonizes with mine. At last, I’m finding my tribe. The wise council of this new tribe, is my book club.

(more…)

Often at Thanksgiving, our family gathers in Los Angeles: my father, his wife, my grandparents, two younger stepsisters, a teenybopper half-sister, and me. (My husband is a jeweler, so he always stays home in Denver to prepare for Black Friday.) But this year, my father is getting divorced, so Dad, my 13-year-old sister Miraya, and I ate turkey at Marie Callender’s - just the three of us, in and out in 45 awkward minutes. Then, a few days later, several of us girls recaptured a bit of family togetherness and holiday joy, at high tea.

(more…)

This blog’s purpose is not about me. It’s about empowering women to seek and share their spirit of adventure. In this post, I explore what an adventurous life means for me. But I’m more interested in your comments about how you honor the spirit of adventure in your life. It can be as simple as trying a new pie recipe, or as complicated as starting a school for girls in the Middle East. Let’s give each other the gift of inspiration, and give women something to talk about.

(more…)

I was an only child until I was 33, and when my sister was born I couldn’t wait until we could do stuff together. I pictured us playing, camping and hiking: two adventurous, muddy, scabby-kneed girls. After her recent visit, I’ve accepted reality: my almost-13-year-old sister is an indoor girl. Not that she’s always inside, but she excels at lounging. Whenever the outdoors requires effort, boldness or curiosity, she’s just not that into it. Yet we’ve discovered that an outdoor girl and an indoor girl can enjoy 10 days together without wanting to kill each other - much. (more…)