regarding the last nine months of my life: wow. id like to recap a bit about the life that ive been living for the last three quarters of a year. it's been the hardest, the most painful, the loneliest, and all at the same time the most satisfying i have ever experienced. ive been living in a very special place called camphill village. after dozens of attempts to explain what i do here ive stopped just short of giving up. all i can do is try to use words i know to explain the most meaningful work and most trying job i have ever had. but, i already know that words dont do this place justice. they just dont. and it's impossible to understand camphill village without being a part of it, even for a dashing moment.
we are located in copake, ny. a place that most people dont even know exists. six miles west of the eastern border of ny where massachusetts and connecticut come together. on a sprawling, forested and hilly 600 acres, 250 people live in 20 (or so) houses we run a farm, three gardens: one for vegetables, one for healing plants, and one for seeds save the apple orchard. we also run a bakery, a dairy, a woodshop, a weavery, a cafe, a doctors office... among other things i know im forgetting.
half of the inhabitants of this undeniably beautiful land have special needs, disabilities, mental shortcomings- whatever you please. and the other half of us- well, some might call us average, normal, everyday folks. this is up for disagreement.
