Life on the Edge

They slept on the couches, the window seats and in the bus. Last weekend six university students from Japan, America and Australia came to Windgrove on the Friday/ Saturday and, as they were leaving, seven more people (plus two month old Nui) showed up. When the last of them left on Monday, I was tired for sure, but happy to have met and been able to host such wonderful people; all concerned about creating and maintaining peace in the world through their work. Already, the three Japanese students (Hideki, Eri, Tamako) have helped to set up a small organisation, Echo, where incoming students to Tasmania from Japan get shown a video about the clearfelling and wood chipping of old growth forests as well as taken on forest walks. They then return to Japan as mini ambassadors for the forests. And when Stephanie, Mandy and Phan return to America after their year in Tasmania, they will be better able to withstand the seduction of material wealth and choose to balance out their lives with social and environmental work. I'm certain every last one of them would have wanted to linger on for an extra day or two, or month. Yet, this was all the time they had. Was it enough? Will what they experience here have any lasting impression? Or, have I just exchanged three days sculpting in my studio for some party time?

The answer, I imagine, lies in last week's blog entry. Planting seeds of hope and peace is what Windgrove and my role are about. Whether these seeds germinate will be up to the individual. As well, Windgrove can be seen as a watering place to help nurture those seeds already buried within these young souls. How many of us know of talented people who burned out and turned their backs to the world? At the least, a couple of days here can refresh and re-inspire. I could never turn my back on any guest. My reward is having my heart replinished with all the love shown me by such a group. It is one thing when people my own age and experience want to visit; this is to be expected. But when twenty year olds choose to do this on their weekend, it speaks nicely about what is happening on these hundred acres; on this land with its budding buildings yearning to house, nurture and provide refuge for even more people.