WHO

You! And your idea to raise eco-awareness or implement a project where you work, live, and play.

“The Agent of Change workshop provided great training on how to develop my

leadership style. It helped me move from thinking about how to change my place of employment to

actually changing it.” -Past Agent of Change Participant

WHAT

In this 6 week class, participants will learn basic leadership and selforganizing

skills, mechanisms for social change and take initial first steps toward implementing a project of their choice in an open and supportive environment.

Project Ideas: Solar Panels at bus stops, Increasing recycling at tailgates and other events around

campus, Dorm or campus-wide clothing swap, Increase in bike racks, and more!

WHERE

The Ohio Union – Lower Level Meeting Room

WHEN

6:30 – 8:15 p.m. Five consecutive Thursdays starting January 26, 2012,

plus a final meeting Thursday, April 5.

HOW

Register by contacting Sara Rampersaud at yourgreenreview@yahoo.com

 or 614-302-0681, or Simply Living at 614-447-0296 by January 20th

COST

$20 for students. $35 for staff and administrators. Scholarships are available for OSU students.

Is it a PLACE we’re to occupy, or is it a SPACE starting with OUR SPACE, that interior frontier of consciousness? I suggest this space is the map with which we have easiest access, yet we’re often reluctant to ask for directions. I believe this space is where CHANGE begins, even when our goal is to change our culture, our society, our political process and our elected officials. 

If we’re to occupy a place, then does it follow we should have full presence in our space?

In meetings and General Assemblies I’ve attended for Occupy Columbus there has been much conversation about goals.  What are we occupying?   Why are we occupying?  Who are the leaders?  Again, when we fully occupy our individual space, I’m confident the answers to such questions will clearly surface.

I propose a leaderless occupation, a movement that is horizontal, rather than vertical, a grassroots and organic  self-organizing process rather than heirarchical. If there are agendas, let them be vetted during the GAs. When leaders emerge, let them be followed by the power of their transformative direction rather than their egos.

Let’s allow OCCUPY COLUMBUS, the PLACE, to serve us to incubate our movement. Let’s not rush into civil disobedience until traction is firm, until the presence of dozens who communicate clearly build trust enough to attract scores more, until we have hundreds in the movement, eventually thousands…then there will be an OCCUPATION.

Thoughts are welcome.  Thank you.

           

THANKS FOR LISTENING.

What does IT IS WHAT IT IS say about our attitude?

Are you hearing this phrase (IIWII) more frequently? There’s evidence that not only has the parlance become chiche, its ubiquity has become irritating.

Although IIWII has proven to be flexibly versatile in a wide range of conversational usage, it’s in danger of blending into trite meaninglessness. In a straw poll cast on Facebook I received responses that range from sacred to silly.

Some use IIWII as a statement of acceptance, a stoic recognition of the stark realism of the present situation. Others employ the wordage as a caution, i.e., to not over-react to what cannot be changed.  OK, fair.

Our language is malleable, adaptable to many voices. Meaning varies with context. Of course, non-verbal cues…smiles/smirks/eyerolls…as well as verbal inflection, will paint the picture the speaker intends. But even a single word, alone, one syllable stripped of verbs and modifiers, conveys a chameleon of communication. How many meanings can you assign to this single utterance?  “Dude.”

So, what message do you take from IIWII? Acceptance? Realism? e.g., “Now, let’s move on.” Frustration, as an inability to change a situation? Have you heard IIWII used as a cop-out? Perhaps as a rationalism, to disguise one’s laziness? Do you suspect the speaker is lame, as their toolbox of communication might be rusty, dented and small? Or, in a more esoteric application, on a spiritual level does the phrase indicate acceptance of one’s observation of perceived reality? I’ve heard, and I’ve used it myself in the context of: “OK, let’s not dwell on it, let’s just move forward.”

Several Friends charged the phrase as being dismissive, i.e., “WhatEVER,” a rude conversation stone wall, indicative of a lack of imagination or commitment on behalf of the speaker. One woman suspects that men are more likely to IIWII than women, as she believes men, on the whole, might be quicker to dismiss, whereas women will talk  among their network to crowd-source solutions to any present situation.

I credit my friend Elissa Schneider for planting this seed of discontent. Like myself, Elissa works within the realm of fundraising development, and we both circulate among a vibrant community of non-profit activists in Columbus. In our world, to hear IT IS WHAT IT IS is to hear tones of defeat. It displays a lack of vision, a non-innovative surrender to status quo, and a lack of leadership at a time when vision, innovation and leadership are in demand.

What about you? Can you re-frame your story with a shift in your vocabulary, by cleansing reactive phrases from your speech?  Might we move IIWII on to IT WAS WHAT IT WAS?

Let me add, upon a few days of  reflection- when tempted to shrug and sob IIWII, I might take a zen approach and just sit with the situation and observe, rather than judge. By eliminating judgement from the present, I have found that solutions arrive through my open windows of perception.

During the first week this June, from Thursday the 2cd through Sunday the 5th, Simply Living and Available Light Theatre shall come together at THE FOOD PLAY  with a two-fold goal, to raise funds for Simply Living as well as to raise awareness of a rich soup pot of actors, writers, directors and poets who present their art “healthy/organic/locally grown.”

For Simply Living members, here’s how you can see great theatre, continue to support localism, and raise much-needed funds:

LOCAL THEATRE FUNDRAISER FOR SIMPLY LIVING
 
Available Light Theatre  presents THE FOOD PLAY live at
the North Market, and Simply Living members can see this locavorist production
and raise green stuff for their own mission at the same time.
 
Here’s a brief description from Founder/Artistic Director Matt Slaybaugh (also a Simply Living member)
of what we can look forward to:
 
     A healthy, organic, locally grown evening of spectacular performances in Available Light’s trademark style – described by American Theatre magazine as “songs and scenes, quips and quotations… a brilliantly eclectic anthology.”
 
We’ll mix in some great food (produced and provided by Local Matters with dessert from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams) and charge headlong into the most delicious questions of our time – “What is good food?” and “What does it mean to eat right?”
 

DATES: Thur-Fri-Sat June 2-3-4 at 8:00pm & matinee Sun June 5 2:00pm

THESE ARE THE ONLY DATES IN WHICH AVAILABLE LIGHT WILL PARTNER WITH SIMPLY LIVING
 
VENUE:  North Market, 2cd Floor Performance Kitchen
 
ADMISSION: $35-per-ticket (until May 16) with half ($17.50) donated back to Simply Living
 
PROCEDURE: 

1)  To leverage this donation,  order on the site   http://thefoodplay.eventbrite.com/ 
                             
2)  Click “Enter Discount Code” and type in the word “thoreau” (without quotation marks).
 
3)  Limit your purchase to no more than 6 tickets. Remember, June 2-5 only, not the second week.
 
4)  Please make reservations soon, as Available Light Theatre has earned consistent positive
      reviews from local media and theater-goers alike.  North Market’s space only seats 100; this will sell out quickly.

Last night, in my sleep, soon before awakening, I was visited by a snake, a blue racer, and a bluebird.

In this dream I was sitting, parked, in the driver’s seat of my car with my window rolled down. On the ground to my left the long serpent glided swiftly toward a brilliantly-colored bluebird, clearly in pursuit and unbeknownst by the prey.  They were both the color of  gleeming shades of blue, cobalt or azure, tinting my dream like technicolor.

And both eyed me, diner and “dinner”  fully aware of my presence.

Once again, I refer to Robert Moss’  ACTIVE DREAMING. 

When I first met Warren in 2009, I assumed he was in the dairy business, as the milk  producer with his farmer friends & neighbors in Meigs County, Ohio.  A few years ago he partnered with dairy herders who allow their cows to graze on the local meadows. THIS is the distinction that gives Snowville the edge that make it a consumer favorite. As with much in Meigs, it’s the grass. If you stay current with Friends and events on Facebook, here is how Snowville progresses.

Warren invited me to hear his keynote speech closing a sustainable local food conference at OSU Friday. I am so grateful for this opportunity, as he reminded me of the inspiring warnings of  Wendell Berry, the pastoral poet-farmer in Kentucky.

Warren also spoke of a progressive solution to our ever-threatening cancer of corporate socialism disguised as capitalism… we’re all superficially familiar with localism.  Columbus residents have increasingly become more supportive of central-Ohio food producers who bring their harvest into the various community farm market in the season.  But there is much to do to get better.  Yes, it is tempting to save a few cents at a big box, national/internationally-owned retailer, but consider the REAL cost, not merely the nickels & dimes. You may have to drive your petroleum-guzzling vehicle to shop there, as they’re usually located on the outer rim rather than in central cities & neighborhoods.  You might be ignoring your local store-owner in this process, further unraveling the social & cultural fabric of your neighborhood.  And in all likelihood, if you shop in big boxes you will not be informed of delicious, fresh, grass-sourced milk from less than 100 miles away.  When we purchase Snowville, almost 100% of our dollar remains in Ohio. This is milk that is priced according to it’s real cost to produce, as most chain-store grocery milk is artificially priced due to federal agriculture subsidies lobbied to Congress. Further, Snowville uses far less fuel to ship dairy products to customers, which also explains a longer shelf-life and the fresher taste. Snowville pays Ohio employees more than their agri-business counterparts, and of course those paychecks are spent in Ohio.When this consumer-based preference of locavorism is practiced around the US, and around our Earth, Warren calls it GLOCALISM. But let’s consider this in a future post.

All in all Friday afternoon, Warren wanted us aware that the luxury of complacency is too expensive for our way of life.  We either board the bus of grassroots democracy for the sake of our families, neighborhoods, towns & cities, or, as an Ohio politician warns, we’ll get thrown under the bus.  Shop locally. Purchase experiences, instead of stuff, i.e., yoga classes, music lessons, dining at locally-owned restaurants, candle-making, local music, massages. Chances are, your house already contains too much stuff.

My takeaway…Warren Taylor’s product isn’t milk.  Snowville Creamery is merely a residual dividend.  His ultimate product is revolution…changing the way most Americans eat, work, and vote. He’s a dangerous man. This was presented on Good Friday, when another dangerous man was feared so much by global powers that he was hung on a tree.  Warren suspects that if Jesus returned today he’d again get hung on a tree.

Finally, a closing from Wendell Berry: 

Suppose we did our work
like the snow, quietly, quietly,
leaving nothing out.

Simply Living offers behind the scenes spring trip to Ohio’s premier green living center, home of the first Earthship east of the Mississippi – a house constructed entirely from reclaimed materials.

Simply Living, Central Ohio’s original  cultural force for simplified living, is offering a spring tour to Blue Rock Station farm and homestead, Saturday, May 22, 10 a.m. Simply Living’s fund-and- awareness-raising event, includes a bus tour to Jay and Annie Warmke’s Blue Rock Station. Located just outside of Philo Ohio (from Columbus–about 1.5 hours along a beautiful highway), the farm and homestead features Ohio’s first Earthship, a home designed by architect Michael Reynolds (subject of the documentary GARBAGE WARRIOR). Guests at the day-long event will tour the homestead’s various buildings, all built with re-used materials with designs and uses devoted to sustainable living and organic farming practices. The tour’s highlight will be: High Tea –Blue Rock Station-style.

Since 2004, thousands of Blue Rock Station visitors have toured the Warmke’s “Earthship” home, made from re-claimed materials such as old tires, cans, bottles, and barn wood; watched demonstrations highlighting sustainable living and farming practices; and participated in the building of structures such as straw bale chalets and a green house built with soda bottles. The farm features the raising of happy, healthy home and farm animals.  Blue Rock Station has been featured on OUR OHIO, and MTV Teen Crib (can be viewed online), and the Warmke’s have written several books outlining their practices and philosophies.

 “Ultimately our goal is to demonstrate a series of alternative building techniques, including the Earth-Ship and straw bale structures, all the while learning about ecologically sound farming and living practices,” says Jay Warmke.

The daylong event (a special invitation made by the Warmke’s for Simply Living supporters) includes transportation by bus, a tour of Blue Rock Station, hands-on demonstrations and High Tea. Registration is $50 for Simply Living members and $90 for non-members. There is a suggested donation of $25 per child attending, and a brown-bag lunch is also suggested. Simply living is also excited to offer the opportunity for non-members to become a member of Simply Living that day–The $90 registration fee for the event will include Simply Living’s $35 annual membership fee. The public is welcome and all may register one of three ways: Send an email to registration coordinator Derek Williamson at dcwilliamson@gmail.com; call the Simply Living office, 614.447.0390; or, visit Simply Living’s website: SimplyLiving.org to register.

About Simply Living:     

For eighteen years, Central Ohio non-profit Simply Living has been a pioneer in the support of families, organizations and individuals taking personal action for positive change through simply living practices. Simply Living’s learning groups, study courses and social and volunteer events help to create a more compassionate and sustainable world.

Matt thinks I know people. Fooled him!  But I want to know people.  I want to know better the people that I know a little. And I want to know more people, so I can know them better, and introduce people to people. I really like to do that.  I find it builds community, which takes me full circle back to Available Light Theatre, as they build community.  Story telling. Performance. Recall in the recess of your cellular memory, your forebears 700 generations ago. They told stories by the fire at the cave’s mouth, they acted, they danced.  Clan-as-community.

Matt says this about the coming performance of HUM:  “Something wicked this way comes. A letter from a long-forgotten ex-girlfriend, a monster in the backyard, a math lesson, and a road trip to the Ohio Caverns twist and turn into a stunning drama about searching for meaning in the face of terror.”

 HUM  is a set of four stories that twist and turn their way into one mind-bending kind of play. Apparantly there’s some sort of surprise, like in The Sixth Sense. Matt won’t tell me anything else. I’m really intrigued, and I believe others will share my feelings. 

Now this is where MY friends enter…that’s YOU.  Join me, please, to experience live theater in the form of HUM on Friday, Feb. 11, 8:00, at the Columbus Performing Arts Center on the near-east side of downtown at 549 Franklin Avenue, near the Columbus Museum of Art. Plenty of safe, free parking across the street. Close to fine dining before the play at Black Creek Bistro. Or casual eats afterward at Dirty Franks Dogs.  And it won’t bust your budget.  Another aspect of local performance introduced by the marketing magicians of Available Light is their PAY-WHAT-YOU-WANT policy.  They don’t want that lonesome stretch between paydays to prevent anyone from experiencing art, so folks get in for $2 or $22, no questions asked.

Please…contact me now and tell me you will accompany me to HUM Friday. I’m reserving a block of seats for you and our other new friends.  You can reach me at: jim1coe@gmail.com or phone (614) 440-1445. Come on, NOW!