About Neil Richardson
Who am I?
Let’s see, well, um…that’s actually the most fundamental thing I ask myself during my meditation sessions. Literally…who am I? When I strip away all the layers of my identity and being (think of an onion) including all my relationships, beliefs, ideas, memories, all the things I can see, touch, imagine or remember- who am I? All of the things of me, as a separate distinct identity are transitory and will fade away like the morning dew. Who am I then? I AM. That’s all.
Professional
I am the founder of Emergent Action, the co-leader of Communities of the Future and a facilitator, strategic planner and advocate for public issues and have worked with a wide variety of institutions, political candidates and thought leaders. I have been fortunate enough to work on public issues across the United States, in Ghana and most recently the District of Columbia where I was born. I am also Deputy Director at DC Appleseed. I have a master’s degree from Georgetown University and a baccalaureate degree from the University of South Florida. I also believe that soccer is a performance that mimics life in all its comical and profound aspects. I am a lot of other things too.
Walt Whitman
My interest in Walt Whitman began in high school when during an afternoon of skipping school; I found myself in the library and happened to pick up Leaves of Grass. After a few moments…I threw it as hard as I could down the aisle until it slammed into the wall. I am still not quite sure why I threw the innocent book of poetry but what I saw was a literal glimpse of every single thing inside me or represented in the Kosmos. I could not hold onto the book, I could not hold the power and the feeling of my experience. Actually, I don’t know if I threw it or it jumped out of my hands. What happened…happened.
Find out more about Neil via his blog, his poems and his journal article “Walt Whitman’s Vision for a New Person and a New Democracy”.
If you want to know more contact me at NeilRichardsonMeditation@gmail.com