Community
I have had two wonderful experiences with community in the past twenty-four hours that I feel moved to share:
Last night, we went to the Supha Hafla in Northside and had a fantastic time. It was held in a large, renovated space off the main drag and hosted many, many talented performers. The food was fantastic and abundant, and it seemed like everyone I know from the local so-alternative-you-wouldn't-believe-it-could-happen-in-Cincinnati scene was there. I especially appreciated how family friendly it was -- there were kids (read: people) of all ages there, the little ones having just as much fun as the bigger ones. My Hubby performed along with the band he is in several different times, as well as other musicians from another, though largely inter-related group of musicians. There were also belly dancers, fire spinners (there was a nice fenced in area / courtyard with a bonfire outside), and a whole lot of open dancing. It is my sincere hope that this will become a regularly scheduled event -- next time, I want to bring along a crock pot of vegetarian chili.
I only had two regrets: First, we didn't bring the kids along. We'd never been to the space before and thus had no idea how kid-friendly it was going to be (they even have a couple of slides in the courtyard), and we both had things to do before the performance anyway. Next time, though, we'll bring the kids. The other thing that was difficult was not being able to dance. I actually tried, just a little, to move around some without actually picking my feet up off the ground (if I do that my sacroiliac joint dislocates) but the instant I started, I had to run to the bathroom. :<) Even standing was difficult, much less moving AND standing, so mostly I sat and watched. Typically, I would have danced the entire time, so this was hard for me -- I *so* wanted to dance!!!!!!!
The other positive experience with community occurred today, and will continue tomorrow. I am attending a weekend long workshop on Nonviolent Communication, which I have been practicing for several years now. These workshops are always so informative, expansive, transformative, and helpful -- I look forward to them greatly, though with some (habituated) trepidation, as they always lead to deep internal change and growth for me. I am especially appreciating the aspect of community around NVC as I am participating in this workshop, as many of us now have been to multiple trainings like this, so we are really getting to know one another. Some of us have been in practice groups together, others get together for the local steering committee to bring more NVC events and information to the community, some of us have formed deep, meaningful friendships based upon these principles and enacted those values within those relationships.
All the way around, it is a group of people with whom I feel happy and blessed to spend a couple of long, transformative days alongside. Also, the food is FABULOUS. A friend of mine (one of the people who set up this training) is doing all the food for the event, and she is really into local, organic food. The food just feels….. really, really good. It isn't just that it tastes fantastic (it does) but that it actually FEELS good to ingest. (The only other similar experiences I have had with food have come from eating a couple of Buddhist monasteries where they have likewise used organic, local food cooked by monks.) I can't even describe the difference in the type of food I'm talking about, but it feels "real" somehow to eat it, like much more than my body is nourished by it. Also, having grown a lot of my own food in my life (including the meat that I eat) it just looks, tastes, and feels so authentic -- it is not prepackaged, homogenized, standardized, shoved in a box food -- this food is REAL.
Good community, good food, good friends -- it has truly been a wonderful weekend.
Last night, we went to the Supha Hafla in Northside and had a fantastic time. It was held in a large, renovated space off the main drag and hosted many, many talented performers. The food was fantastic and abundant, and it seemed like everyone I know from the local so-alternative-you-wouldn't-believe-it-could-happen-in-Cincinnati scene was there. I especially appreciated how family friendly it was -- there were kids (read: people) of all ages there, the little ones having just as much fun as the bigger ones. My Hubby performed along with the band he is in several different times, as well as other musicians from another, though largely inter-related group of musicians. There were also belly dancers, fire spinners (there was a nice fenced in area / courtyard with a bonfire outside), and a whole lot of open dancing. It is my sincere hope that this will become a regularly scheduled event -- next time, I want to bring along a crock pot of vegetarian chili.
I only had two regrets: First, we didn't bring the kids along. We'd never been to the space before and thus had no idea how kid-friendly it was going to be (they even have a couple of slides in the courtyard), and we both had things to do before the performance anyway. Next time, though, we'll bring the kids. The other thing that was difficult was not being able to dance. I actually tried, just a little, to move around some without actually picking my feet up off the ground (if I do that my sacroiliac joint dislocates) but the instant I started, I had to run to the bathroom. :<) Even standing was difficult, much less moving AND standing, so mostly I sat and watched. Typically, I would have danced the entire time, so this was hard for me -- I *so* wanted to dance!!!!!!!
The other positive experience with community occurred today, and will continue tomorrow. I am attending a weekend long workshop on Nonviolent Communication, which I have been practicing for several years now. These workshops are always so informative, expansive, transformative, and helpful -- I look forward to them greatly, though with some (habituated) trepidation, as they always lead to deep internal change and growth for me. I am especially appreciating the aspect of community around NVC as I am participating in this workshop, as many of us now have been to multiple trainings like this, so we are really getting to know one another. Some of us have been in practice groups together, others get together for the local steering committee to bring more NVC events and information to the community, some of us have formed deep, meaningful friendships based upon these principles and enacted those values within those relationships.
All the way around, it is a group of people with whom I feel happy and blessed to spend a couple of long, transformative days alongside. Also, the food is FABULOUS. A friend of mine (one of the people who set up this training) is doing all the food for the event, and she is really into local, organic food. The food just feels….. really, really good. It isn't just that it tastes fantastic (it does) but that it actually FEELS good to ingest. (The only other similar experiences I have had with food have come from eating a couple of Buddhist monasteries where they have likewise used organic, local food cooked by monks.) I can't even describe the difference in the type of food I'm talking about, but it feels "real" somehow to eat it, like much more than my body is nourished by it. Also, having grown a lot of my own food in my life (including the meat that I eat) it just looks, tastes, and feels so authentic -- it is not prepackaged, homogenized, standardized, shoved in a box food -- this food is REAL.
Good community, good food, good friends -- it has truly been a wonderful weekend.