The Meditate Mass 351 Challenge is my spiritual practice to visit each of the 351 Massachusetts cities and towns. As I mentioned in my first post on this, I have two criteria to count as one of the 351:
- I have to actually be in the town and either meditate/pray/sit quietly for at least 10 minutes (I’m also finding that walking meditation works well too!) This makes it so I can’t count places that I’m driving through on the Massachusetts Turnpike (Yup, just picked up Blandford!)
- I have to take a picture of me in front of a landmark or building that would only be in that town (e.g. post office, town hall, police station, etc.) It doesn’t have to be a government building, but at least one where there’s no mistaking where it is. For example, I could choose Durgin Park or Fanueil Hall in Boston. It also means I can’t just step over the border 3 feet and sit for 10 minutes. I have to find where the life of the town is.
I don’t have a time limit, but this is a practice in intention. I’ll just keep going at it and see what interesting adventures it leads me on.
Ken at Irish Famine Memorial, Cambridge Massachusetts Common, 4 December 2011
I’d like to come to your town or city, and I need some help in identifying the interesting and unique feature of the place where I should take my picture. Also, is there a good place to meditate for 10 minutes or so there? Please leave a comment and give me a suggestion!
Here’s where I’ve been so far!
- #1 – 27 November 2011: Sherborn
- #2 – 28 November 2011: Boston
- #3 – 30 November 2011: Arlington
- #4 – 4 December 2011: Cambridge
- #5 – 11 December 2011: Ludlow
- #6 – 18 December 2011: Winchester
- #7 – 23 December 2011: Brookline
- #8 – 25 December 2011: Upton
- #9 – 25 December 2011: Hopkinton
- #10 – 26 December 2011: Lexington
- #11 – 1 January 2012: Wilbraham
- #12 – 2 January 2012: Belmont
- #13 – 2 January 2012: Waltham
- #14 – 7 January 2012: Somerville
- #15 – 23 January 2012: Newton
- #16 – 6 February 2012: Needham
- #17 – 12 February 2012: Lincoln
- #18 – 19 February 2012: Medford
- #19 – 20 February 2012: Watertown
- #20 – 4 March 2012: Holland
- #21 – 4 March 2012: Sturbridge
- #22 – 17 March 2012: Melrose
- #23 – 17 March 2012: Malden
- #24 – 18 March 2012: Stoneham
- #25 – 7 April 2012: Northborough
- #26 – 8 April 2012: Westborough
- #27 – 8 April 2012: Southborough
- #28 – 15 April 2012: Concord
- #29 – 15 April 2012: Carlisle
- #30 – 15 April 2012: Bedford
- #31 – 15 April 2012: Burlington
- #32 – 21 April 2012: Mansfield
- #33 – 22 April 2012: Foxborough
- #34 – 20 May 2012: Grafton
- #35 – 26 May 2012: Newbury
- #36 – 26 May 2012: West Newbury
- #37 – 26 May 2012: Merrimac
- #38 – 26 May 2012: Amesbury
- #39 – 26 May 2012: Salisbury
- #40 – 26 May 2012: Newburyport
- #41 – 1 June 2012: West Stockbridge
- #42 – 3 June 2012: Alford
- #43 – 3 July 2012: Saugus
- #44 – 14 July 2012: Provincetown
- #45 – 15 July 2012: Truro
- #46 – 21 July 2012: Northbridge
- #47 – 21 July 2012: Ashland
- #48 – 1 September 2012: Rowe
- #49 – 2 September 2012: Monroe
- #50 – 2 September 2012: Heath
- #51 – 3 September 2012: Colrain
- #52 – 23 September 2012: Haverhill
- #53 – 23 September 2012: Methuen
- #54 – 23 September 2012: Lawrence
- #55 – 6 October 2012: Orange
- #56 – 6 October 2012: Erving
- #57 – 6 October 2012: Northfield
- #58 – 6 October 2012: Warwick
- #59 – 6 October 2012: Royalston
- #60 – 6 October 2012: Athol
- #61 – 14 October 2012: Sudbury
- #62 – 20 November 2012: Dracut
- #63 – 20 November 2012: Lowell
- #64 – 22 November 2012: Wellesley
- #65 – 22 November 2012: Dover
- #66 – 22 December 2012: Stoughton
- #67 – 22 December 2012: Easton
- #68 – 26 December 2012: Billerica
- #69 – 12 January 2013: Avon
- #70 – 12 January 2013: Abington
- #71 – 10 February 2013: Woburn
- #72 – 23 February 2013: Weston
- #73 – 23 February 2013: Wayland
- #74 – 16 March 2013: Quincy
- #75 – 31 March 2013: Acton
- #76 – 13 April 2013: Chelmsford
- #77 – 21 April 2013: Sharon
- #78 – 21 April 2013: Walpole
- #79 – 21 April 2013: Norwood
- #80 – 5 May 2013: Southbridge
- #81 – 5 May 2013: Charlton
- #82 – 5 May 2013: Auburn
- #83 – 5 May 2013: Millbury
- #84 – 11 May 2013: Shrewsbury
- #85 – 11 May 2013: Hudson
- #86 – 11 May 2013: Stow
Outline of the 351 Massachusetts Cities and Towns
4 comments
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December 6, 2011 at 12:56 am
Matthew Kreuzer
Ken Mattsson?
Hey, this is Matt. We actually met 20 years ago and took a couple of walks around Boston. I went to your wedding to Bob. Still singing? Dancing? Racewalking?
I am in Amherst now. When u visit u should take that picture on the Commons. And maybe catch up?
Matt
December 6, 2011 at 11:57 pm
Ken Mattsson
Matt, good to hear from you! I couldn’t find your email, but you can send me one at ken@resonare.com. I’d love to come out to Amherst!
January 2, 2012 at 6:35 pm
Debbie
Awesome challenge! Look forward to follow.
January 2, 2012 at 6:56 pm
Ken Mattsson
Thanks Debbie! It’s a way I can try to stretch and bring mindfulness into the same activities. I’m trying to be creative with it.