November 20 - Once Upon a Time...

This semester each of the students has been asked to “teach” the other students about something in their life that sustains them. The idea of sustainability we’ve been exploring applies not only to preserving the earth’s finite resources, but to preserving ourselves and our communities through actively seeking social, mental/emotional and in many cases spiritual enrichment in a healthy way. We’ve had students speak about political activism, time spent at a Buddhist monastery, social networking, apple crisp and guerrilla gardening.
I wanted to give my friends a taste of the evenings I’ve spent at home with my family. We would sit and read to each other - I would often read, because I love it, but we all take our turn – and dad would have his chips and salsa, and mom would have a little wine, Nathan his ice cream, perhaps. We would just sit and read, and then maybe play a game of cards… hearts, most likely. This made me so happy to be alive and filled me with good will for my family and for other people – it gave me energy to go out into the world. It made me so grateful for the privileges I have, and grateful that I could enjoy them without spending money, sitting in front of a TV or using any resources. Something about the simplicity of this time with people who are in a predetermined group but still choose to spend time together just to enjoy one another feels like magic to me.
I gathered my classmates, settled them in one of our rooms, poured them some wine and read a quirky short story I had found just a few days before. I was surprised at how willingly they sat through the story – so silent and attentive. In this age (and with this group of “creative” – i.e. fidgety - people) I would have guessed at least half would have been tittering softly or squirming about by the second page, but every one listened respectfully and lovingly until the end. The wine may have had something to do with it, but I think we’ve actually developed a really healthy level of respect and care for one another that shows especially when we’re all in the same room. It’s been incredible to me how cohesive and supportive the group has been in the last couple weeks. We’ve seen uglier sides of the group and of individuals, me included – seeing one another daily for hours on end and then going home to sleep in the same house at the end of the day will bring those things out – but when all is said and done, the group leaves me feeling pretty optimistic about the human potential to live in community. And it’s lovely to know that storytelling doesn’t have to be lost on my generation.