"Working in my garden or walking in the countryside, I have never come across anything in nature that is superfluous and does not fulfill a function. There seems to be no redundancy or unemployment in these natural worlds. Be it rock or plant, bird or tree, or even the bacteria within the soil, everything occupies a vital place in the dance of life." Michael Lindfield, The Dance of Change"What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured." Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
I'm amazed of the opportunities before me. Stoked to be alive and constantly applying thought, experience, and feelings to my daily interactions. Inspired to be in this place and share my existence with others. This is all being felt now, as I digest the events of this evening. I attended a small dinner gathering to share a gift of food from others. A friend from Rosewood Farms, Arcata, California, brought a deer that was killed at her farm. Fresh kale was presented, so we could recognize the deer's food source and acknowledge the deeper interconnectedness of the web life. The table was filled with roasted peppers and corn, and a cabbage salad that was grown by Mountain Home Farm, Orleans, California. 90% of the food before us was grown, harvested and cooked by the people sharing this meal. Keeping it simple and local.
This experience brought up two different thoughts I would like to address.
Thought 1: Natural Helping Networks
This dinner gathering gave me a small glimpse of some of the assets and resources in Humboldt County, California. It also reminded of one of the readings I found in our textbook, Rural Social Work and Sustaining Community Assets (Scales and Streeter, 2004). In Chapter 6, Natural Helping Networks~Assets for Rural Communities, Watkins (2004)spoke of rural communities, and he believes rural communities will thrive and grow to be stronger. He also voiced that a balance between natural helping networks and institutional social services need to be found in rural communities. I'm personally a fan of the natural helpers, as I'm still skeptical of institutional social services (See post from 10/11/09, The Revolution Will Not Be Funded or Televised). I think there's a lot to be said about this area. We have various groups of people in this area who manage to pull things together on many different levels. I'm starting to realize how important it is to really examine all of the resources in an area to broaden the natural helping networks and to build a stronger community. Rural areas have a unique gift of close interconnected relationships, which leads to a 6 degrees of seperation. I believe a stronger shift to natural helping networks in Humboldt County would really be beneficial, as it would strengthen beliefs associated with supporting one another and supporting neighborly experiences, which has been so unique to this area for so long. One of my biggest wishes, and still is, if we could get some of the young bucks from the hills to buy into the community and participate in the ma and pa mentality and values that have kept this area so special. So, if you know any, spread the word and talk community.
Thought 2: Connections Feel...Good
"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." ~Chief Seattle, 1855
I felt blessed, to be connected with so many farmers and wonderful people. Each and every one of us offering a part of our self and the gifts we hold. Something really moving started as we began to "talk story," and I witnessed a golden thread interweave the people sitting in the room. Not only were we connected by the food experience, but we were finding a deeper connection by sharing, listening, empathizing, and understanding. Our web of life started to extend beyond our personal experiences and they started becoming a shared group experience. Our flow of stories evolved into a deep discussion on the adolescent years. What it was like and how adulthood seemed like a strange and bizarre transition with little meaning and sacredness. This morphed into ideas around our local community of Humboldt County and all the wonderful potential it holds. Energy built inside me as I heard other's discuss the need to re-establish community support for the youth of this area and the outer areas. We questioned how a rural area could establish a sense of belonging among the adults and youth. We explored the different ways this area could restore and rebuild an environment and culture that supports and harnesses young woman's or man's search in becoming an adult.The word was there. It was heard. And now it was out there. All of this, from talking story.
I feel so energized as I see my some of my hopes and what I believe are my soulful callings surface before me. I fully acknowledge and feel thankful of all that has evolved from this course. It has switched an internal switch that has been off for almost two years now. It's amazing how community can help facilitate change and support one in rediscovering and reclaiming their true self. Here's too a wonderful experience that has been stemming from the Community Practice course and all the energy that I've felt from the other blogs that bleed personal passions. My environment is beautiful and my community is constantly extending. I feel I'm a part of the web of life, in the natural world, with my friends, in the community, in society and in the Universe.
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