Defining Democracy

I hear people say “We need a place like in CHEERS, ‘Where everybody knows your name'”.

No, we don’t!

We’ve got plenty of those already. They are for bonding and lead to community fragmentation.  We need bridging places, where you can go and make new friends, not just see your old ones.  Where you can talk face to face and not rant or copy/paste. Where talking leads to understanding. Where everybody learns your name. 

Places where hospitality is as important as the food. 

This is the story of the closing night of one such restaurant, the Wild Hive Cafe.  It’s sad because it had to happen, but inspiring because it happened in the first place.

As you watch this film, keep in mind another unique bridging function.  The Hudson Valley, where this took place, touts its many farm-to-table restaurants.  But The Wild Hive Cafe took it one step further — it brought farmers-to-the-table! See if you can spot them.  

They mixed it up. The food, the music, but most of all, the people.  All mixed up and mixing with each other.  That’s how community is born and how it flourishes. 

DEMOCRACY  can be fun!!!

Let’s Make America Civil Again

Just about every Friday evening, Sarah and I had dinner at this very bar.  We preferred it over a table.

 

 

 

 

Back to classical Athens. The Agora, a public gathering place by the Acropolis.  If Athens was the birthplace, this was the delivery room.  

There are public spaces and there are public places. A public space can be a park, open to the public. But a public place is reserved and designed for public activity.  

Two crucial features:  U shaped bar and round tables!

Wherfe everyone LEARNS.  your na