True morality consists not in following the beaten track, but in finding the true path for ourselves, and fearlessly following it.
Mahatma Gandhi
Dear Reader,
Sometimes I wonder which might prove to be of greater interest, the note you receive in your inbox each week or the story behind the story. Maybe that back story would have a following all of its own. Of course, not everyone would desire to hear what led me to the words I commit to “paper,” but maybe some of you would be curious.
This occurs to me because at the start of the week, I thought I would write about a planned Friday adventure to pick up mulch hay with my friend Cheri. Even though it had yet to occur, I was anticipating it early on because I knew it would unfold as a sweet story about friends, community, and getting things done—topics we just don’t hear enough about these days. But then, on Wednesday, the overstory, the one I share now, began to emerge.
On Wednesday evening, local author and Keene State Professor Sasha Davis presented his new book, Replace the State, to a multi-generational audience. Having met Sasha and his family when they came for a tour of the Gemmo Forest and stayed on for tea and conversation, I knew I wanted to learn more. Aside from the topic, I was equally curious about who he would attract and how he would deliver his message.
Sasha is a political activist, researcher, poised speaker, and remarkably humble human. In short order, he outlined what he has gleaned from his international research, four methods of eliciting political change, and the four ethics of good government. He was clear, concise in his explanations. He wrapped up his talk with an invitation to join him to create a local movement that would aim to replace failing systems with future sustainable models. An ambitious task, and he is young, passionate, and clearly willing to put in the work along with those he recruits.
The next day, I found myself bumping along a dirt road that wound its way up a hill in Marlborough, NH, a small community just outside Keene. At the top of the hill stood a bright red wooden farmhouse and an expanse of clovered fields, Sam’s and Bridget’s place. I met Sam in the Gemmo Forest when he attended the Monadnock Farm tour last month. He was making the rounds to glean ideas for his project and connect with local farmers. I offered to connect him with a few local folk who may be of assistance, and we exchanged contact info. Last week, I was invited to visit Sam and his wife and learn about their shared vision.
Having relocated from Boston, they have been hard at work breathing new life into an idyllic setting. Their aspiration? A retreat center for medical caregivers with whom Bridget has spent her career working as a hospital administrator. They have a lot of work ahead of them, yet they have a vision they are willing to follow, fueled by their passion.
And then on Friday, I saw my friend Cheri. She was kind enough to lead me to his farm, and we shared the bales he had set aside between us. Cheri and her husband, Chris, are truly remarkable examples of living the future today. Together with their grown daughters, they are restoring the long-held family farm that serves as a multi-generational homestead. They run a well-loved produce stand and organically grow sweet corn that folks queue up for in the summer. Throughout the year, Cheri is active in her small community of Swanzey, speaking up for environmental causes and genuinely making a difference. Like the others, Cheri and Chris are also fueled by their passion for family, community, and being of service.
It’s interesting that I connected to each of these people with a passion to support their communities in the Gemmo Forest; however, I’m not surprised. The land and the container formed by the perimeter of conifer trees have proven themselves over and over again to be a great connector. In the three short years I have been collaborating with the forest, it has become a third space in our community. On top of the Gemmo Forest mission of serving the community as a permaculture laboratory for medicinal plants, trees, and shrubs, it is a safe space outside of work and home to connect and converse. I can’t take any credit here for setting out to achieve this; instead, the land made that known.
The Gemmo Forest has become a space in which we feel safe enough to drop into deep silence to hear our inner voice as well as engage in powerful and even difficult conversations. This brings me back to the visionaries I've introduced you to. Like I did a few years ago, they each are setting out to create something larger than themselves. Along the way, if they allow, they will be well supported and guided. If they stay true to their path, guided by what lights them up, not what might please others, their vision will evolve into something greater than their imagination alone could have designed.
I'm inspired to meet people who are passionate about making the world a better place and taking action. These few examples are just the people I met with this week. There are countless others out there. You will meet them, too, if you keep your eyes and minds open, leave your home and workplaces, and connect. Do you have third spaces in your community that you frequent? If so, what interesting connections have you made that would not have occurred elsewhere?
Until next week,
Following along with the Sun Transits? Listen here to learn about Gate 47, the Gate of Oppression, which ends Sunday, and the Gate of Friction #6 that follows it.
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