The Idea Fire is Stoked

Over the last couple of weeks, the LC team has begun generating some pretty exciting ideas. This Friday is our final session together, a full day retreat in which we'll be assigned in teams to five or six projects. Much discussion has gone on about what those projects will ultimately be, and which we'll be working with in the near future.

The project guidelines state that any project must be initiated by Jan. 1 and completed by April 1. That's a pretty short timeframe. Idealists, many of us have brought forth project ideas that are too big, too all-encompassing, to perform within the guidelines. We all seem to want to produce a tangible result, offer sustainable solutions and leave our legacy. It's a tall order.

Last Friday a subgroup of the class met for coffee. I was delighted to witness the far end of the table as they brainstormed through an idea that involves middle school kids and exercise. They got increasingly enthusiastic as they worked through the details and realized that this project was something they could really do, and as all the pieces started to fall into place. A team was being formed in an organic way, interests meshing with capabilities, and people simultaneously having "this is it" moments. It was a joy to see and hear.

Naturally, as we approach Friday, there are feelings of apprehension and anxiety. Will I be assigned to a project that I can be passionate about? Will the team work together effectively or will there be load-bearers carrying the bulk of the work? What if the project I've proposed doesn't fly? Can I generate enough interest to pursue it down the road, even outside of the program?

Another prevailing feeling is disappointment. I'm so sorry to see our sessions draw to a close. I've enjoyed the program (admittedly, probably more than most) and the people I've come to know. It's given me a reason to look forward to Wednesday afternoons, to learning and interacting with others, to being inspired and taking away ideas and plans for the future. I know that for some the committment to the program was thrust upon them by bosses or others in their respective organizations. Some classmates are Charlottesville natives for whom much of the information was nothing they didn't already know. Some have work schedules that demand, in some cases, up to 70 hours a week, already; the burden of four hours a week devoted to LC is time they need back desperately.

I know I'm different, as a big fan of the program. I will miss it, but hope to stay involved not just through the project to which I'm assigned and that looming April 1 deadline, but through the years, maintaining relationships with classmates and involvement in future projects, for as long as I call Charlottesville home.