“I tried anarchy but there were too many rules.” Distilling one's life into a bio that fits on a page requires that one be terse. In so doing what gets emphasized? What remains unmentioned? Does one laud perceived achievements; or confess ones shortcomings and failures? There have been a few of the former, many of the later. I'm not all that comfortable dwelling on either. I never opted for a career, rather there have been a series of occupations, situations and adventures. Common themes have run through them. I work with my hands. I like to tinker. I fix things. I work the soil. I celebrate the seasons of the green wood and manage during those of the dry. Solitude is a cherished companion. Most of my adult life has been spent off-grid. There is a cabin in the forest heated by wood. A garden in summer. A greenhouse in winter. Solar panels provide needed electric. There is seclusion, but community is not far off. Books line the shelves. These days there is a Kindle, eliminating the need to haul tomes across continents. Somewhere in the Upper Region of Ghana, West Africa is a 25 pound Sanskrit dictionary, but that is a story too involved to go into here. I've traveled. I've worked abroad, in agriculture on three continents, for pleasure on five. I'd like to add a sixth soon. A Liberal Arts education assured a certain level of poverty and an historical interest enabled a stint providing walking tours throughout Paris, France. www.paris-walking-tours.com Personal involvement in that operation is on hold at the moment as family needs assume priority. But I'll be back there in a New York minute once circumstances allow. I think I have a sense of humor. In the least I find I laugh at many things, these days most often myself. If I were pressed to sum it up, to answer that unanswerable “why” question, I'd have to say this:
“We are here to participate joyfully in the sorrow of the world.” Joseph Campbell My early years at OLQA were foundational. I count those with whom I shared that time as so many blessings.