I really enjoyed my month-long vacation, but I've learned one thing. Writing and vacationing do not go well together. Writing is solitary, vacationing involves other people, and I know this. I keep thinking vacations should be for writing, but for me, that doesn't work.
So now I am at home sitting at the computer, fending off Bella the cat, who thinks she should be on my lap at all times (how could you leave me for so long? she meowed) and thinking about all the good feelings and questions I've had over the last month.
My first task was to read my previous post about Chautauqua. I was really high on the place the first few days, wasn't I? But in retrospect, I am thinking differently about the experience. Chautauqua is definitely a place trying to move forward, but still falling behind. Let me explain.
Of the thousands of people at Chautauqua Institution (CI) during Week One--and that's five or six thousand, maybe more--I saw one or two Middle Eastern faces, one or two Asian faces, one or two African-American faces. At least 50 percent of those I saw at events and on the street were over 60, and there were many over 80. One very touching sight was an old man pushing his disabled wife up the hill from the lake, a task that most younger people wouldn't attempt. In spite of the fact that CI offers many classes and services for children, the place is still designed to draw wealthy, older, and white Americans.
Not that the leadership is not trying to change the place. Several speakers brought it up, joking about the lack of color diversity, but no one addressed the real issue: CI is the province of the well-to-do retired who want to gather their families for a summer vacation. Many people foot the bill--probably a thousand or more per person--to bring their children and grandchildren together for a week of extended family time. That time includes classes for children, classes for adults, big-name entertainment, lots of world-class speakers--but basically white upper middle class.
During the course of my week at CI I learned a little about the politics of the place. Many people own a home at CI, one of the old painted ladies that they have updated to modern HVAC, plumbing, electricity, and decor. Homeowners grouse about taxes, which they are certain are larger than the rest of the county, and about utility costs, and upkeep. Many people purchase homes with one or more apartments, then lease the apartments by the week to other visitors. A nice apartment with a bed or two will bring more than a thousand dollars per week--a decent return on investment. There's a decent library, but inadequate computer and printing resources for the coming technological generations. CI leadership is focused on philanthropic fund-raising, looking to build an endowment that may keep the place going when the generations change.
So right now, baby boomers are happy with their summer experiences at CI. Will the next generation feel the same? Will they be willing to spend their vacation money there, or will they want a cruise or a beachfront condo? Will art classes, writing classes, dance classes, and lectures on birds and blooms keep the next generation coming? I don't know.
What I do know is that I loved my visit this year. I learned a lot, and it is indeed a place that makes you feel as though you're in another world. Heck, we never even locked our doors! My host and dear friend, Mary Anne, was great company, and I enjoyed the classes, the entertainment, and the speakers. But I probably won't go back next year. It's an expensive treat, and that makes it likely to be a one-time thing.
Unless I win the lottery.
So now I am at home sitting at the computer, fending off Bella the cat, who thinks she should be on my lap at all times (how could you leave me for so long? she meowed) and thinking about all the good feelings and questions I've had over the last month.
My first task was to read my previous post about Chautauqua. I was really high on the place the first few days, wasn't I? But in retrospect, I am thinking differently about the experience. Chautauqua is definitely a place trying to move forward, but still falling behind. Let me explain.
Of the thousands of people at Chautauqua Institution (CI) during Week One--and that's five or six thousand, maybe more--I saw one or two Middle Eastern faces, one or two Asian faces, one or two African-American faces. At least 50 percent of those I saw at events and on the street were over 60, and there were many over 80. One very touching sight was an old man pushing his disabled wife up the hill from the lake, a task that most younger people wouldn't attempt. In spite of the fact that CI offers many classes and services for children, the place is still designed to draw wealthy, older, and white Americans.
Not that the leadership is not trying to change the place. Several speakers brought it up, joking about the lack of color diversity, but no one addressed the real issue: CI is the province of the well-to-do retired who want to gather their families for a summer vacation. Many people foot the bill--probably a thousand or more per person--to bring their children and grandchildren together for a week of extended family time. That time includes classes for children, classes for adults, big-name entertainment, lots of world-class speakers--but basically white upper middle class.
During the course of my week at CI I learned a little about the politics of the place. Many people own a home at CI, one of the old painted ladies that they have updated to modern HVAC, plumbing, electricity, and decor. Homeowners grouse about taxes, which they are certain are larger than the rest of the county, and about utility costs, and upkeep. Many people purchase homes with one or more apartments, then lease the apartments by the week to other visitors. A nice apartment with a bed or two will bring more than a thousand dollars per week--a decent return on investment. There's a decent library, but inadequate computer and printing resources for the coming technological generations. CI leadership is focused on philanthropic fund-raising, looking to build an endowment that may keep the place going when the generations change.
So right now, baby boomers are happy with their summer experiences at CI. Will the next generation feel the same? Will they be willing to spend their vacation money there, or will they want a cruise or a beachfront condo? Will art classes, writing classes, dance classes, and lectures on birds and blooms keep the next generation coming? I don't know.
What I do know is that I loved my visit this year. I learned a lot, and it is indeed a place that makes you feel as though you're in another world. Heck, we never even locked our doors! My host and dear friend, Mary Anne, was great company, and I enjoyed the classes, the entertainment, and the speakers. But I probably won't go back next year. It's an expensive treat, and that makes it likely to be a one-time thing.
Unless I win the lottery.
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