"How can you justify the community aspect of your work?"
So justify I did! I told the student that in my experience, the sense of community I have felt in Latin America easily outweighs anything I feel in the states. Just when I was picking up steam about people in the U.S. forgoing human contact for facebook and tweeting, she interrupted me: "No, no, that's not what I meant, how come you live this isolated life and won't let anyone help you?" To which I replied: "I never said you couldn't help me!"
So that's the story of how I got my first volunteer off the streets. She wouldn't be my last.
I was down by the river collecting rocks alone when two shadowy figures began to approach me. I picked up a stone, poised and ready to attack if need be (fight or flight is on red alert when you sleep outside). The blurry figures began to clarify as two smiling faces that I had remembered from just two days earlier. A cheerful voice said: "I told you we'd be back to help!" These were the same two guys I mentioned in an earlier blog about stepping over the original rock barrier. Back to lend a helping hand.
So there I was, conducting workflow like a tone-deaf maestro. But we had fun. I always hoped people would want to participate, but never actually thought it would happen to this extent. Together we put up five rock walls today: a new record! I cordially invite anyone and everyone to participate in the fun that is physical labor... I mean, the artistic process.
Already the walls are feeling less and less like barriers and more and more like overstated harmonious welcome mats. Just let yourself in to the lives of others, you don't even have to take off your shoes.
Please see the article written about my shanty from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire news bureau: http://www.uwec.edu/newsreleases/10/oct/1014PloesslShanty.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment