Marvel Comics had a very colorful president, CEO, and cartoonist: Stan Lee. Tucked somewhere in a non-profit blog Mr. Lee was reflecting on superheroes and storytelling–as the obvious path to a better society. He noted the journey of a superhero can be deconstructed into into five elements:
1.) Someone good, if naive, tries to do something good
2.) An inevitable appearance of insurmountable obstacles
3.) Conflict and troubled water
4.) Rising to the occasion to get out of a pickle
5.) After suffering, and a little blood, Victory
In my mind, #5 is a great place to be. But if you speak with our Founder, Hank Louis, he’d likely say the distance between #2 and #4 is where it’s at. The fun part. This is where the lessons become articulated, relationships forged and blisters form. It is the arena where the superhero gestures are honed, and, if we’re lucky (and we have been) our superhero friends show up.
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For DBB, the year of 2011 (using lexicon of Marvel Comics) could be the Year of the Cape. It stands alone as one of our most remarkable 12 months. Staggering challenges and brilliant progress. It has been a year of project growth and change and it has been a year of heroics. Thanks to you, our supporters, and a staff whose abilities and skills really do border on the miraculous, we’ve built more, done more, planned more, and solved more than we imagined. Donors, filmmakers, artists, designers, photographers, volunteers, interns, members, families we build for, have all generously swooped in and been part of the story.
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Without all of you, we’d never make it to #5. And we thank you.
It’s no small feat to grow exponentially, to change with each semester and to ride out the waves of the economy. But here we are, with your help, completing four homes for four inspiring families:
Harold and Helene and their teenage son will live on a homesite that has been in their family for over 200 years.
Lorraine, a scholar and writer, will have a home for her children, her extended family, and a home for her books.
Angie, a single parent of three, will reside near friends and neighbors, living independently in a safe and innovative home.
Don and Sharon are educators whose homesite overlooks Monument Valley, and marks our first experiment with prefabrication.
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30 more graduate students of architecture will have completed the DBB program- changing their perspectives not only about design and the built world, but about the experience of reciprocity.
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We are celebrating 2011 with a year-end membership drive–it will be action packed with opportunities to give and stories whose outcome depends on you. We ask you to open the emails, read the stories of families and students, and celebrate how your support has taken ideas and made them reality. Join us. There’s a cape waiting.
I’m big fan of MISS NAVAJO. thanks for sharing this video. I have downloaded it as well.
I loved the trailer. I wish I could have joined all of you!
I would definitely watch this Miss Navajo.
I never heard of this before. I’ll check out more about this Miss Navajo. True beauty indeed.