It is our belief that a crazy plan will do more good than harm. This is why we are often to be found drawing plans for hillbilly hot tubs and underground gardens. Heat regulation is the main staller with the former, the latter is preparation for when we own land. And this is beginner level crazy (intermediate elsewhere, perhaps, but we live in rural Cornwall) not far from simply dreaming. One giant shed, one polytunnel, one almost finished bath-pond testify that we can make ideas tangible. Based on this, and other little things, like compassion, like stories shared, we have been forming a bigger plan.
Here’s the rough outline:
we acquire land
we build and/or develop a self sustaining community
this community is part made up of isolated folks trying to get a foothold in general society
we run a business or two from the land (farming, crafts, camping site, etc)
How on earth do we make this happen? How will it work?
Slowly, with much head scratching, ingenuity, internet trawling, form reading, and such like.
It may not work.
It may not happen.
We may be fools! But we have declared ourselves now!
The Plan has elevated to ‘talk about it amongst yourselves’ to ‘get out there, do research.’
So far I have had one meeting with a local charity about what funding might be available and what other similar projects exist, to look at and learn from.
A list, in pencil, on the back of an envelope: can anything grow from that?
The paperwork will be mountainous. It will be glutinous.
Problems that stick like mud and weight your boots.
But what harm can it do to try?
(Don’t answer that!)
The happy-crazy plan has us fully engaged with life.
Embarrassed at our naivety, insecure, out of the comfort zone.
It’s something we can see in the distance but aren’t yet sure of our route.
Which is why I decided to write this down. Fear of failure hobbles life. Better to fail than hobble. Faith in dreams is faith in life.
Small case history 1:
I fell off a tree branch yesterday and have minor whiplash, a good bruise purpling my hip. Yes, feeling silly. But feeling like I wish I hadn’t climbed that slippery branch? That I’d stuck to the easy path?
Never!
Here’s the rough outline:
we acquire land
we build and/or develop a self sustaining community
this community is part made up of isolated folks trying to get a foothold in general society
we run a business or two from the land (farming, crafts, camping site, etc)
How on earth do we make this happen? How will it work?
Slowly, with much head scratching, ingenuity, internet trawling, form reading, and such like.
It may not work.
It may not happen.
We may be fools! But we have declared ourselves now!
The Plan has elevated to ‘talk about it amongst yourselves’ to ‘get out there, do research.’
So far I have had one meeting with a local charity about what funding might be available and what other similar projects exist, to look at and learn from.
A list, in pencil, on the back of an envelope: can anything grow from that?
The paperwork will be mountainous. It will be glutinous.
Problems that stick like mud and weight your boots.
But what harm can it do to try?
(Don’t answer that!)
The happy-crazy plan has us fully engaged with life.
Embarrassed at our naivety, insecure, out of the comfort zone.
It’s something we can see in the distance but aren’t yet sure of our route.
Which is why I decided to write this down. Fear of failure hobbles life. Better to fail than hobble. Faith in dreams is faith in life.
Small case history 1:
I fell off a tree branch yesterday and have minor whiplash, a good bruise purpling my hip. Yes, feeling silly. But feeling like I wish I hadn’t climbed that slippery branch? That I’d stuck to the easy path?
Never!
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Take care of you!!
I LIVE FOR CRAZY.