Dancing once again!
- Jun 30, 2018
- 4 min read
This is my 52nd blog post, a blog that I started as a product of being at the Writing Workshop at the Milkweed Mercantile at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage last year. I find it rather fitting that for the 5th time in the past year I am back at Dancing Rabbit. Once again, I am taking part in the Writing Workshop. We gather this evening and then spend the next 3.5 days writing and sharing. I cannot wait. Originally, I was going to be at Dancing Rabbit for the entire summer to begin my residency. There were a couple major, and a few minor, reasons why that didn't happen. I am comfortable with my decision but I am also cognizant, more fully now that I am here, that I continue to feel sadness. I went for a walk this morning before the sun was coming up. It was already 80 degrees with 87% humidity. As my mother-in-law would say, the air was close. I decided to cut my walk short and go for an impromptu swim in the pond. As I enjoyed the sweet relief the pond offers, I reflected, mostly about being here. Everytime I go in the pond, I thank the people who had the vision, and the people who did the work, to create that space. As I thought more about DR, I began to compile a list of what I love about this place:
1) The people. I was tired from my long drive but I chose to sit in the Mercantile and enjoy a root beer right when I got here. The smiles and hugs from friends I haven't seen for three months was comforting. I had a chance for some conversations with a few and got a sense for what has been happening. The community here is a living thing, people are connected to it and they influence it, as the community influences them. The journeys that people are on are integrated and I find that evident as they talk.
2) The pond. Seriously. The space is big, cool and welcoming. When I was here for my visitor session a year ago, one of our liaisons mentioned that in the summer, she will go in the pond five times a day. Depending on when you go, the pond can be a source of social interaction or solitude. Some play water polo, some just soak to cool off and others float lazily, soothing muscles and quieting their mind. This morning I took my camera. I took some pictures since nobody was around. (I am always careful not to take pictures of people without permission or cause anxiety with my camera.) If you've read my past blogs, then you know that when I was here in November, I was determined to go in the pond au natural. I did, but since it was only 30 degrees, I didn't really swim, it was more of a baptism. Today was my official first time skinny dipping, a big step for this straight-laced midwesterner! It felt wonderful! I had to capture the moment, tastfully, of course! Since I was last here, a sandy beach has been added. A welcome addition!
3) The solitude. Whether it is indoors, or outdoors, one can always find space to have to herself. And it is quiet. Here is a brief clip of the pond sound during my swim.
Sometimes you can hear the laughter and squeals of children playing outside. Other times you hear only the whirring of the wind generator or distant train. Often it is merely the sounds of the earth. Whatever sound or absence of sound is the flavor of the moment, I enjoy it.
4) The food. I have spent roughly thirty days here over the course of the last year and I have never had a bad meal. Never. As part of the Visitor Program, one eats at a variety of the kitchens. These people can cook! Without diminishing their talents or creativity, I think one of the keys to the meals is that they produce so much of what they consume right here. Anyone who gardens knows that picking something and eating it shortly thereafter, especially when it is organically produced, certainly enhances the quality of the meal. Rabbits are adept at preserving food to give them access to things out of season as well. 5) The philosophy. As I navigate the chaos of our world out in mainstream society, my heart is warmed with the knowledge that I know of a community where people strive to put their values into practice. They are very aware of their impact on the earth and work to mitigate any negative impact. This certainly is not a utopia. Conflict exists and there are differences of opinion. However, people work to communicate in respectful ways that validate all, women & men, old and young, introverts and extroverts. Working out the day-to-day interactions of roughly 50 adults attemping to live in accordance with six covenants and eight sustainability guidelines can be exhausting. But yet, they continue on the path, moving forward after twenty years. Often, when I am not in this community, I find myself thinking WWRD? What Would Rabbits Do? This helps me to continue to work for small changes that are necessary in our unsustainable society. With sadness, I write this, knowing that I was close to having this be my home. But I have buried the sadness deeply for now so it won't interfere with all of the engaing moments to come with this workshop. My goal is to save the tears for my 5+ hour ride back to Wisconsin next week. Maybe because there is a gathering of writers brewing but I cannot help but think of Langston Hughes. I will close with a favorite of mine:
Harlem
BY LANGSTON HUGHES
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
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