One of the first questions people ask when we say Silver City is..."Why there?" It's really a two-fold question. First is the city itself. Second is way we see ourselves there. For this post, I'll focus on the first part.
When I lived in Albuquerque in '02-'03 and then again in '06-'07, I would have likely heard of Silver City, but I had never visited. When my thoughts and dreams started drifting back to New Mexico, I pulled out my trusty Google map of New Mexico. I had been to much of the northern part of the state, had lived in the central area, and had spent some time in the southeast. But the southwest part of the state I only knew from reading about the ghost towns which remain today.
Except Silver City. They still had a dot on the map that seemed slightly larger than all the others in the area. And the word "City" was attached...
So, then came the wiki article that briefly introduced me to the area. I was intrigued, and tucked the place in the back of my mind.
Several months later, I picked up a copy of Mother Earth News. In this particular issue, they listed something like the 10 best towns in America to live in. Lo and behold, Silver City was listed! The blurb, if I remember correctly, mentioned the art scene, the public university (Western New Mexico U), and the general movement towards becoming a sustainable town. And so it cemented in my head that this is a place I needed to check out on my next trip to New Mexico.
Upon our arrival in "Silver", I was extremely skeptical. Just previous to arriving in New Mexico (on Justin and my NM RoadTrip Deluxxe 3000 this May), I had watched a video called "Blue Gold: World Water Wars," which delved into the current and impending water issues. New Mexico, especially along the Rio Grande, has a long road ahead of them in terms of how they will sustain themselves on the water which is present...without making the New Mexican extinct. This issue has and will continue to be a delicate topic to discuss.
But aside from my skepticism when driving into Silver City, we were able to have conversations with persons who live in the area who seem optimistic that the water crisis is less impending than that of the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area. Silver City doesn't rely on the Rio Grande for water (but rather on two other smaller rivers coming from the northwest of town.) That said, it is still a desert, and the discussion remains, "Can we create a sustainable life in the desert? If so, how?"
I realise I'm practically writing a novel...So I'll stop here for part one.
In brief, why Silver City? Because aside from the very real discussion of water rights and availability, the town is vibrant and inviting of wanderers in search of a spiritual oasis.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A very fuzzy beginning
Friends, we are starting on a new journey, and we are looking forward to the new direction(s) we find ourselves going in.
After nearly five years of dreaming, scheming, researching, and meditating, we are feeling an inkling to start on the journey for which we have been preparing. The vision is yet fuzzy, but essentially Justin and I have agreed on the following ideas and motives:
We wish to loosely follow in the steps of the Catholic Worker Movement, and establish a Mennonite-ish program/initiative/who-knows-what, creating a safe, equal space for persons of all races/economic statuses/sexual orientation/genders/ages/religions/etc. to share life together.
Our first step in this (what we will call) initiative is to establish an open discussion with those who are interested in walking alongside and supporting us for a part (or for the duration) of our work. We have started this blog as that initiative, and encourage your comments, emails, phone calls, letters, coffee dates, etc.
The second step is to create a donation-based café, likely in Silver City, New Mexico. We anticipate relocating to this area within the next 18 months, participating in the life of the community and finding the best location to serve a diverse audience. We will apply for 501(c)3 status, and rely on donations from diners and private donors, as well as seek and apply for grants applicable to our mission. We will explain at a future date more of our ideas for this café.
The third step will be to create a Mennonite House of Hospitality, modeled after the Catholic Worker houses of hospitality. We will have several private rooms available for transient persons, visitors, and café volunteers. This house of hospitality will not charge persons who need to use the shelter, though donations (of all sorts) may be given to the house. We anticipate designating one room/bed as an emergency room, and designating the other rooms for persons who are interested in longer term housing (based on need or involvement in the café). We will expound on this third piece of the initiative at a later point as well.
So, it's published. And we're sharing this with you, and encourage you to pass on our link to anyone you feel may be interested in participating in the discussion.
We beg of you to keep us in your thoughts as we continue to discern how to continue on this path towards a realisation of a long-held dream of Valerie's.
After nearly five years of dreaming, scheming, researching, and meditating, we are feeling an inkling to start on the journey for which we have been preparing. The vision is yet fuzzy, but essentially Justin and I have agreed on the following ideas and motives:
We wish to loosely follow in the steps of the Catholic Worker Movement, and establish a Mennonite-ish program/initiative/who-knows-what, creating a safe, equal space for persons of all races/economic statuses/sexual orientation/genders/ages/religions/etc. to share life together.
Our first step in this (what we will call) initiative is to establish an open discussion with those who are interested in walking alongside and supporting us for a part (or for the duration) of our work. We have started this blog as that initiative, and encourage your comments, emails, phone calls, letters, coffee dates, etc.
The second step is to create a donation-based café, likely in Silver City, New Mexico. We anticipate relocating to this area within the next 18 months, participating in the life of the community and finding the best location to serve a diverse audience. We will apply for 501(c)3 status, and rely on donations from diners and private donors, as well as seek and apply for grants applicable to our mission. We will explain at a future date more of our ideas for this café.
The third step will be to create a Mennonite House of Hospitality, modeled after the Catholic Worker houses of hospitality. We will have several private rooms available for transient persons, visitors, and café volunteers. This house of hospitality will not charge persons who need to use the shelter, though donations (of all sorts) may be given to the house. We anticipate designating one room/bed as an emergency room, and designating the other rooms for persons who are interested in longer term housing (based on need or involvement in the café). We will expound on this third piece of the initiative at a later point as well.
So, it's published. And we're sharing this with you, and encourage you to pass on our link to anyone you feel may be interested in participating in the discussion.
We beg of you to keep us in your thoughts as we continue to discern how to continue on this path towards a realisation of a long-held dream of Valerie's.
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