I’m enjoying the fall here, even though the leaves aren’t as beautiful as normal (so they say… I still think they’re great). The summer’s been dryer and warmer than it generally is, making the leaves reticent to change color which, some predict, will make most of them simply turn brown and fall off. Still, there are many vibrant colors — my favorite is the Virginia Creeper, a vine that turns crimson-red and runs its way along trees and power lines, reminding me that I am indeed alive and capable of awe.
This past weekend was a rough weekend for Monterey. Rain came steadily for nearly 48 hours, without stopping or letting up more than twice. Many basements are flooded and many dirt roads are impassable. On the farm, Diane’s Trail lost part of a bridge and is messy at the moment, and one of our front fields was partly flooded.
Work here continues as normal, with me feeling less like someone who is pretending to be a residential advisor and more like someone who really is a residential advisor. I am also feeling like I’m a real part of the community here. I’m starting to be able to relax back into who I am and not feel the need to be someone/something different; to be able to spend less energy trying to connect on what felt like a sometimes artificial level and spend more energy bringing my gifts and personality to every situation.
The choir is starting slowly but surely. I’m still having trouble finding music that people can gather together around. Hymns and classics have been good for the groups I’ve heretofore been a part of, but neither seem to work as well with this population.
I’ve had some really great conversations with guests here about the nature of community, the necessity of trust, and the impact of integrity and confidence, reminding me that every person has things both to teach and to learn. Besides that, I’ve gotten beaten in chess more times than I’ve kept track of, yet I’ve almost beaten one of the best chess players on the farm. So, my brother… your attempts to teach me chess did work at least a little bit. =)
Seth and I are just commenting on the idea of “smoosh time” and saying how much we love our boss… Shelly trusts us to use our 40 hours each week in the ways that will be most helpful to us and to the farm — therefore, for example, I can work extra today and take an extra break on another day if that makes the most sense. It’s so great that she trusts us that much. Far from giving us something to take advantage of, she inspires us to work up to our potential. How great!!
‘K… I’m still in the residential office and even though I’m not working, I feel like I’m still at work. Time for me to go home and do some Laura stuff… In the mean time, here’s a question for you to ponder — What’s the nature of Truth? (is it absolute? relative? knowable? incomprehensible?…)
StarPilgrim Studio 