Dear Curiosity Journal,
On Saturday morning, I gathered dried flowers for the Viroqua Community Event at Sittin’ Pretty Farm with Arielle Goodman, Aaron Aslin, some familiar faces, and a few new ones. We participated in a circle practice to listen, share, and learn about the mosaic of ways people care about our community, how we thrive, what challenges us, and where we can help. The gathering was beautifully done, inspiring connection, curiosity, and fruitful conversations. I’m so grateful to feel a sense of belonging in my community and to be able to cultivate that for newcomers. Among a mosaic of ways to impact community connection, food and fun are central to who we are, what we do, and how we want to help, and I look forward to finding creative ways to come together with our community as we grow. Back on the farm, I made an afternoon labor deal with Rufus. If he helped me shear two more sheep, I would help with sauna construction for the rest of the day. In the big scheme of things, they are all “our” projects, but it’s funny how I subconsciously or overtly claim tasks as “mine” or “his” and take turns being the “boss” or “employee”. Ultimately, we want the same things, but we build in these power dynamics, timelines, and priority hierarchies to give ourselves structure, and drama, I suppose – and I think about the ways in which our little bubble is a microcosm of our larger community.
~Joy
