Walk Literati

or, Why I'm going to make Wichita walkable

When you are a Child

,in school they will show you videos of people like Martin Luther king jr and Albert Einstein and tell you that you can change the world.

When you are an adult

and you say that you want to change the world they will tell you that you are crazy and that it is not possible.

In order to do anything new, you have to be a little crazy.

I do not enjoy watching TV (except the History Channel). Overall, I have a hard time sitting still. In fact, I am on the elliptical on level four as I type this.

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a writer. I heard about how JK Rowling started Harry Potter on a napkin on the train. I think that started the “I can do it too” reaction in my brain.

As a teenager, I began learning about entrepreneurship and as a young adult I became an entrepreneur. I think sometimes if you see yourself as an artist, you can see yourself in opposition to profit or struggle with economic thinking.

Economic thinking is very important because people at the end of the day, vote with their time and dollars. Which is why, as kurt Vonnegut writes about writing, it’s important not to waste people’s time.

I think you should aim to make a large, positive difference in a lot of people’s lives.

Especially if you have the “I can do it too” reaction.

I will publish numerous books throughout my life. I write for at least thirty minutes every morning. But my more imminent obsession is walkability.

I think it is a human right to navigate a city without a car.

And I think it is the future to navigate a country on an efficient, affordable train.

As I always have, I will use the blog to yap and share updates.

But most importantly, I ask you to join and join me. I will be focusing on my hometown of Wichita, Kansas. And if you all focus on your hometowns we can actually make something shake.

We’ve already had a Charles Dickens and a Mahalia Jackson and all the cool people who have done cool stuff. We have enough social media influencers and podcasts and motivational speakers.

I'm tired of talking. I want to be the reason my parents can walk around and catch a train.

Americans are happier and healthier when they are in college because they live often in localized walkable communities. That’s what makes New York so fun.

I think Midwestern cities would be just as fun given the same options. It would also help local economic development significantly as explored by Jane Jacobs.

I think about this so obsessively everyday, that this is how I’m choosing to devote my time and brain power.

How am I going to do this?

That’s a great question.

Like life, you figure it out as you go.

You just can’t forget to hold onto that childlike faith.

Join me!

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