Today I sat in on a Zoom conference with the Futurist Interest Group of the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL). There was a presentation by Susan Simpson of the Pikes Peak Library in Colorado Springs. She, in turn, based some of her thoughts on the work of Cara Courage (see www.caracourage.net ). Look for a series of "lightning talks" about various futurist topics at the next CAL conference, September 10-12, in Loveland. This blog is an attempt to capture just some of my thoughts sparked by Susan's remarks. There are various factors that make a place real and important to us. Such places are creative . They speak to the part of us that wants to appreciate the beauty around us, or to make something that delights or captivates us. Interesting places are engaging . And that means that they don’t just present distractions that succeed in capturing our attention for a moment. We put something of ourselves into it. The place becomes a focus for feeling or thin...