Why I still like Austin, Texas: since she turned 178 last week, and I forgot to thank her for how cool she still is after these years! I know that’s still a young city in the big picture, but she’s still being herself. What I like about her….

Austin is so experimental. It’s willing to try new stuff, and synthesize it with what is already working. I do appreciate that. It also cares for animals and artists well. We have one of the only free health care programs for local musicians, which includes mental health. Bless your priest, bless yourselves!

We also have a day of each month named officially after a local artist. And we have ACL (Austin City Limits on public tv) the longest running music show in the nation! This week they inducted Roy Orbison, Rosanne Cash (inducted by Elvis Costello-great speech about hope for America coming from places like Austin—creative incubators and free speech cities which honor the past without getting stuck in it!) and the Neville brothers into their hall of fame!

Rosanne’s (who I got meet years back at Waterloo records-which again is a symbol of accessibility here!) speech summed Austin up. “You gave me creative community when I had no voice, until I could find mine!”

Thankful for how Austin havens creative vulnerable folks and creatures. We are the first no kill animal city, which has become a global model. I like the grounded progressive experimental nature of this city, and how it cares for the weak or fragile. We are certainly first adopters in many areas. And we develop it with leadership. Not a timid town even with the arts!

It has gotten a bit too expensive, but still about half the cost of San Fran, London and other global cities, and just as inventive really. Thankful for this city today. Still after many years, it welcomes the slanted ones of us, with Grace, and let’s us be human together! Each city has its gifts! This one is kind, and havens creatures and creatives well. Thankful for that characteristic of hers today! A monastery, with an enormous Texas Sky above her!

The Sky really is the limit, and as our local university (with 73,000 students, which we live just near!) motto says: what starts here, changes the world! So it has a global symbol making potential—an arts leadership mantel!

As you can see from her film industry, directors often from my own generation like Quentin Tarrantino and Robert Rodrigues-so many film studios here; mainly people who got fed up with Hollywood- and music of course, which is a constant (South by, but also ACL and so many arts and music festivals always spinning).

Sometimes it’s good to bless the place you live pro-actively! People too often, just complain about where they live. I try to see my own story in relationship to my city’s narrative. It keeps things meaningful. But sometimes it’s good to encourage your own city!

It’s good to proactively love the cities we are given to share life with. To be salt and light for their stories! Healers and Seers in the mist for them. Love your city, and help her finish her story and walk out her gifts! Wherever you live.

We live in several cities and I love them all like people with long beautiful stories and gifts! Ours here is a creative leader, and very inventive–i experience that about her daily!

I challenge you to encourage your city today! Get to know them where they are now, where your city is in its story, and how can I help pronounce their next chapter in the book we are together.

I love cities like people, and this person is pretty cool and special! I know her blocks and shadows, just like my wife’s or best friend’s, but still love them all into full view, and towards their wholeness! Anyway, thankful for this particular special city today. Thought I’d say so.