Who are you?

I’m a delicate flower.  No, wait.  I’m a blackboard full of chalk notes and smudged ideas with a big PLO written in the corner.  I’m Batman.

What do you do for fun?

I bullfight and race F1.  And I play outside on sunny and rainy days.  I ride my bike, talk about riding bikes, wander around bike shops asking bike guys about bike things, dream about long, open, windy roads to ride along, and stretch my legs after biking up big hills.  I strum guitar strings and sing my little heart out.  I talk.  A lot.  I throw frisbees.  I am a self-declared cafephile.

What is your favourite community? Why?

Favourite community?  Perhaps Eastend, Saskatchewan.  It’s a small town of 600 people in the Cypress Hills where reliance and togetherness with neighbours is real and eternal.  They sell bumper stickers at the tourism office that read, “Find Yourself in the Middle of No Where.”  At Carlie’s Lunch the cash register stays open and you make your own change.  Charlie is the ambulance attendant – his till balances out at the end of the day, everyday.  The community centre and the ice rink are focal points of the town.  The mayor is a grandmother to the community and helps make tough decisions.  Oh, and there are 5 Governor General Award winners in the town.  There are stories in a town like Eastend.

What is your superpower?

Stopping time for one minute.  But I can only do it once a day, so I have to be careful when I use it.

How do you use it to build community?

I learn the names of the people who sell me my groceries, who send my mail, who serve me beer, to people who ask me for change.  And I use their names when I see them.  I introduce people to other people.  I ask people if I can help them when I see they need help – this goes a very, very long way.

My Three Favourite Things About Steve Sloot Are…

1. He’s a Douchebag! Not at all, actually. But Mr. Sloot did cut his literary teeth – for this blog, anyway – on the The Potentiality‘s award-winning series about Douchebags. We gave Steve the tough job of writing a pro-douchebag piece, which threads nicely with his cross-pollinating-neighbourhoods article from earlier this week, and, in both cases, Steve did an amazing job. Which is how he rolls. When I think of Steve, I picture him in a great hat, rolled-up-pants, with a notepad, pen, and a banjolin slung over his shoulder, engaging with people. He comes into your community ready to contribute in colourful, story-filled, hilarious, and musical ways.

2. Stage Presence. Steve Sloot is charisma. I’ve worked with him on a few workshops, dinner parties and festive evenings, and Steve’s ability to engage diverse audiences never ceases to amaze me. Way to public speak and know your audience, Steve!

3. Connectivity. Steve’s reach is a global one. His work with World Vision Canada World Youth has taken him from Cuba to New Brunswick and back again. Managing study abroad adventures for himself et pour les etudients saw him travel to Ghana, Ecuador and New Brunswick.  He can truly connect ideas from everywhere and, we hope, use them to build community on this blog!

Special Bonus Thing: Steve introduced me to the 84 bus line, which, unlike it’s parallel-running-sister-bus, the 99 B-Line, isn’t ridonculous and always yields a seat for bikers like us. Well done, Steve!