I want to say I must agree with this take on depression. Please also read Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein and go to the website gifteconomy.ca for some inspiration. I had the best week ever this week, spearheading a project to raise enough money for a mom and her daughter to pay first months rent on an apartment. It was due yesterday. On Monday, when I met the mom, she had no idea where the money was gonna come from. (I met her to give her a couch I couldnt sit comfortably on, and she and her stepdad helped Cougar Brenneman and me pick up a couch that is SOOO COMFY for me-SCORE! The new couch was a gift offered by Peter Enbridge Out Endisch as he was helping friends pack and move their farm.) I told her I would try to help her. Fortunately, a very kind and gentle fellow named Brice (Brown Rice on Facebook) had snagged my attention a couple months ago, asking if anyone was interested in the Gift Economy. I sure AM! I SURE WAS. BUT I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO ACTIVATE A COMMUNITY IN BC, where I knew essentially four or five people. Id had the great good fortune to meet Charles Eisenstein over a year ago at a gathering in Seattle. I met a few amazing folks at that event (and a previous one and a few more after that) as well. Erik Lawyer. Danielle Gennety. Sheri Herndon. Jody Levy. Genevieve Hettinga-Malone. All experienced an incredible feeling of alignment with this reawakening concept of community. But they all live in the Seattle area. Boo! Moving to BC was hard because I had met all these wonderful people but three hours of driving is a lot to attend a few two hour meetings here and there... So, I already knew what Gift Economy meant, sorta. Its hard for the many of us who have been corralled into teeny tiny mental boxes to even grok what a Gift Economy might look like. Brice got stomach cancer and decided to quit his job, after doing research on the CAUSE of cancer. His detailed conclusion is modern life and community disconnect. He decided he would prefer to live by true faith and trust, to no longer follow the standard life prescriptions of job, food, and entertainment as a corporate slave, and simply let Universe and Community step in. What an amazing leap of faith. (His condition has improved greatly though he still hasnt found the right type of housing yet.) So. When he posted that simple question, I joined in. And I took my own leap of faith and asked others to start the Gift Economy Fraser Valley group. I really SUCK at starting things. A lot of the time I get ignored when making suggestions or inviting people to do things with me. LOTS of embarrassing things have happened to me when I speak up to say stuff like, HEY KIDS! LETS... I really prefer to work behind the scenes in the dark! So this was a real leap for me. And I cant do moderating to save my life! But the gorgeous and sweet Nicole Jackins stepped in. And so did Dana Lang, a new mom. They are so amazing. I have, in the past few months, met an incredible array of heartfelt, generous, truly caring people. And people in profound need. It HURTS to see the hunger, the fear, and the desperation so prevalent here in Canada. What hurts worse is the shaming and criticism that get hurled at people asking for help. Its devastating. Its as if there is something WRONG WITH YOU if you are sick or injured and needing help. I experienced that shaming during my prolonged illness too. (NOT to ignore the angels who showed up for me, but the isolation was horrific.) I totally understand it when I see it here. I saw it in the US as I sadly left my home country due to our own economic disruption after my husband had to retire due to his Multiple Sclerosis progressing. It pissed me off that I had to leave everything and everyone I loved due to health care costs post-retirement. Well. It has been an incredible journey for me since finding the Gift Economy community. I am now in touch daily with dozens of kind and generous folk. So. On Tuesday of THIS WEEK, with both trepidation and a tiny spark of hope, I put out a call for fundraising the rent for a total stranger and her disabled daughter to get their own roof over their own heads. A bunch of people jumped in to help. Most particularly Nicole Jackins, who offered her existing PayPal account into which to funnel donations. She experienced unnecessary stress because of her generous offer and let me tell you I OWE HER BIG-TIME! On FRIDAY after many a hoopage was jumped through, including me going to a park (to sing, dance, give hugs, and generally make a damn FOOL of myself! to try and raise $200, coming away with all of $16.70!), the keys were handed to the mom, and the move began. No WAY could I have personally given that money to them. But in making the offer to try, I was somewhat hopeful it could be done, because I had already seen and experienced the incredible generosity of this group-for MONTHS. But I had also seen requests unresponded to. You just never know! But THIS time, it WORKED! And it truly heartens me to know that in sharing what we have, together, we can solve some major challenges. That USED to be the function of government or church. But I see a tattered remnant of the original intent of shared responsibility. Perhaps now is a good time to get a deeper understanding of the despair many of us are feeling. I do believe, after decades of suffering life-threatening mood disorders and a long-term desire to get the hell off this planet, that WE are the answer. When we join together to solve one anothers problems, there is a connection made. In our hearts. Our minds. Our souls. I have done this kind of problem-solving my whole life. Its been so satisfying, but frequently it has felt kind of silly because I myself have such limited resources. Its hard to do this kind of thing alone. But NOW thanks to Brice and so many others, there is a COMMUNITY of problem-solving, loving, caring humans to do it with. THIS TIME, it was easy and joyous and fun and CRAZY thrilling. Someone has a HOME today after a year of homelessness. And I have a community within which I may now joyfully serve my PURPOSE. A place to give all my (considerable, magical, expansive, ridiculous) heart, soul, and strength. I am honored to serve, with such beautiful people by my side. I no longer feel alone. Or scared. Or isolated. I feel LOVE. CONNECTION. COMMUNITY. Not that its all perfect, mind you. Us Humanimals seem so attached to our nonsense. Theres still a lot of criticism and drama and failed attempts to GIVE meaningful support or even to RECEIVE meaningful support. But we are all just eggs. We are learning new (ancient) skills. It will take a while. But I think the seeds planted today, and those nurtured over these last few months, are going to yield nourishing sustenance to many. We are remembering how to be human together. And maybe Brices journey to wellness will be supported by the lovingkindness we total strangers are learning to share with one another. Thats the theory we are testing out. Go BRICE! I dont think I want to leave the planet any more. I feel incredible support and appreciation from this community. I no longer have to struggle on alone. I feel the LOVE. Is that the definition of mental wellness? You decide! Thanks Tina Shadrake for posting this awesome article. Excellent context for my adventure of the week. ;)
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 18:38:16 +0000
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