It's two fold: passions and a commitment

A few weeks ago Beth, Karen and I went to a workshop at a local community center called “beginning gardening for the community gardener”. Through this brief into workshop we learned tips and general information for gardening with a slant toward community garden. I think he said something about Burlington having the most community gardens per capita than any other city in the nation…I believe it.
This man said something along the lines of, “lets talk about tools: a metal garden rake and a hoe are helpful, but the two most important tools are your heart and head.” Then it hit me, this guy is really passionate about gardening, good for him, he’s doing what he’s really passionate about. It’s really inspiring to meet people that are living their passions. I’m reminded of a guy that was on the Today Show talking about Wolly Mammoths, and he was psyched, and clearly happy excavating Wolly Mammoths or whatever he was doing. I was in a garden shop the other day, I had purchased a cute pot that hangs on a wall in Florida and I needed a plant to put init, this woman was assisting me, I’m kind of helpless in that area. She was asking really intense questions, about how much light it would get, and what wall of my house it would hang on. I just told the lady where the mountains were in relation to the wall and she figured out that it was “on a west facing wall”. Yeah...when we selected the final plants she exclaimed “oh this has such a zen feel to it” again clearly, she’s working in her element. I also recall the time I was in Rome, and I went into a store (Euroclero) where priests can buy vestments, and to see James’ face light up, as he perused various chalices stoles, and other priest accessories, I mean he was a kid in a candy store. Clearly James is called to be a priest (for many other reasons other than this material example!).

Have you ever thought, “This isn’t a passion of mine, and there’s no way it’s going to be?” What about “This isn’t a passion of mine but it could be, or I have some interest in it?” Well, I feel the latter about gardening. So one thing led to another, and now I’m (along with Beth & Karen) part of the “Burlington Community Teaching Garden.” The man that spoke at the workshop I wrote about earlier heads this up. It meets twice a week for about an hour, we’re given a plot of land adjacent to the Ethan Allen Homestead (of course!) Classes will be some teaching, some planting, garden maintenance, etc. There about twenty other people most of them about our age. Oh and, here’s the ridiculous twist: there’s a guy in the class that Beth and I went to high school with (in Cincinnati). So random!! So tonight was our first class, basically an intro/orientation. Next class (Thursday) will be pulling up clumps of grass, and getting the beds ready! There are several potlucks throughout the class (which goes will September--yeah I was having serious commitment issues) and a Corn Roast & Veggie Ball fundraiser. Another piece of the class is that we have to use our skills in some way next season. There will be more on all this later….