November Project began 5 years ago yesterday and has grown over those 5 years to encompass groups in 32 cities on 3 continents and 7 countries. That’s a lot of lives touched. And what’s more, there are at least a handful of other pledge groups that are eager to join up with our ranks and grow this movement even more. What we do out there on cold mornings like this one in Hollywood brings people more than just a higher heart rate. We’re in the business of changing lives and changing the chemistry of the cities we live in.
Yesterday I was on top of a big rock/mountain in Nevada, outside of Las Vegas and at the top there was a little broken tool box that had some scraps of paper and a few other things in it. Inside of a plastic bag with a pen attached to it was a notebook. The pages were filled with names, dates and joy that people shared for having reached the top of this summit. Many were thankful for their able bodies, many for the people in their lives. Others sang of the joy of exploration and the creative spirit while others shared their grief and stress. As I looked over them, so many spoke to me and I realized that even as they spoke to parts of my life that I was thankful for for my own reasons, many were related to things that had come from NP, from this global community that has set my life on a course for something very different and very new.
One of the most striking passages was one that a girl wrote about change. She said that there was something comforting about the fact that nothing is permanent. She described that although it’s sad when good things come to an end, it means that bad things will too and it means that with each end, there is the chance for a new beginning.
NP has had a home at the Hollywood Bowl for a long time. It’s a part of our identity and it is a big aspect of what got a lot of us out of bed in the mornings originally. The views can’t be forgotten, the way the echoes of our collective “Fuck Yeah!” could be heard reverberating in that perfect acoustic environment used to energize me to do things I didn’t think I could. The stairs, though treacherous, were always a source of pride for me. Knowing at the end of a PR day that I’d done nearly every single one, twice over, was a feat that I could be proud of. Our slow meander up the hill and into our sanctuary was always exciting, even on days when I had something dragging me down from my personal life. I always knew I could leave it in the bowl. The B-Lot is pretty good, it really is. It actually holds more potential for diverse workouts than the bowl ever did, but the romance of my first NP love has faded and it’s time to start a new era.
What I mean by this is that our time at the Hollywood Bowl is almost certainly drawing to a close.
After months of deliberation and arguing and chasing down phone numbers, Steve and I have decided that the best decision for our tribe and our community is to find a new place to call home. Today’s events with parking were indicative of being in a less and less welcoming environment. In the spirit of transparency and community, we think it best to let you all in on the fact that this change is coming. We don’t have answers yet, we have some ideas and hopes but none are even close to being solid. The reason why we want you to know is because we want this change to be something we do as a community. We’re aware that many of you will be effected by such a change, many in a profound way, but change is inevitable and we will be doing everything we can to keep things as much like we have all loved as possible.
If you have ideas, suggestions, hookups, insider info or anything else that you think might be helpful in this time of change, we’d love to hear it. We know that you are all plugged into this city in different ways and our community is tied to many other communities. Do you know a great place that we can meet? Do you know the head of security at a stadium or university? Anything like this can be helpful as we begin our quest to something else.
We love you all dearly and as we ring in another year of existence for NP, we are so happy that you’re with us. Let’s keep growing together, keep running together , keep hugging, keep high fiving and keep reaching out into the cities we live in. Ours is great, you are all great and together we can do great.
Do great LA.
NEWS
FRIDAY – 6:27 am @ Barnsdall Art Park
- Meet at the open field at the top. Location in the tracker.
“SHOWING UP” – 7 pm @ The North Face Store, Beverly Hills
- There will be beer, discounts, a band, and a movie. There will not be t-shirts. Yet.
