Long Haired Freaky People

To be honest, I was very indecisive about going on this trip.   Before I accepted an interview, I told Drew, “Never mind, I don’t think this is going to work out for me.”  I wasn’t sure if I was leaving for the right reasons.  I knew it would be fun. I knew it would be great to see the country.  I knew I’d make new friends. BUT was that enough. I didn’t think so.  I wasn’t sure if as a group, a few carnival games, some eco info and an alternative shopping place was enough to have an affect on people, and me.  Basically, was it worth giving up all my local efforts.

Well, I decided that this small town girl need to take a chance on the SLR. Perhaps the experience I would gain as an intern would in-fact make me a more marketable candidate in my future endeavors.  So, I hung up my comfy blanket and strapped on my, soon to be worn in, adventure boots.

Well, today and in the days that have passed, I have put my indecision at ease.  The SLR has proved to be not only a group that has been able to withstand the series of unfortunate events, namely: 60mph winds destroying every 4 legged canopy we had, two of our busses breaking down, and our trailer nearly detaching on an interstate highway. But, has also been a collective I’ll be proud to sign my name to.

A couple of weeks ago, now, we went to a church in Horschem, Pa for a impromptu meeting on transition towns.  The same town a few days previously had chased us out, at the sight of our California plates.  The lyrics, “And the sign said, long haired freaky people need not apply.” kept repeating in my head.  You have to expect that a large group of individuals on a mission to save the Earth, will hit some brick walls. Or in this case, white picket fences. Anyway, this was one of them.  But we used that jaded attitude as fuel to tie our capes that much tighter when we returned.  In the 2 hours I spent with the SLR and the progressive members of that community, I felt like we were a council of super heros.  Each of us brainstorming how to combine our knowledge most effectively to produce a more sustainable future.

Implementing processes and systems where there is a return, a reuse. Not a linear…start. produce. consume. end. what do we do with END. I hope we can figure it out before that is all we are left to see.

Judgement in: there has been at the very least an affect on myself.

No comments yet.

Leave a Reply