| Shadow Land's | |||||||||||||||||
| Thoughts on Community | |||||||||||||||||
|
Delia Stone May 19, 1998 In today's world, the meaning of community seems lost. At one time community was about caring for one another and pulling together for the good times as well as the bad times. It meant knowing your neighbor as you know your friends - by name. However, community now means organizing a neighborhood watch to protect our belongings and secure our homes while we are away on vacation. Neighbor now seems defined as "the people who live around us", where once it had a personal meaning. Neighbors once shared a bond similar to families. Community has become an intangible ideal to most people, for one cannot comprehend true community unless it had been experienced first hand. Fortunately, I feel that I have seen genuine community at a gathering called e Kee O Kee. Kee O Kee is a campout that happens twice a year, much like the Rainbow gatherings. It is a gathering of people involved in alternative spirituality with the emphasis on Native American teachings and a healthy respect for all spiritual paths. This gathering is a tribal gathering, for it contains the bond that was once shared by tribal communities. Kee O Kee has a place for everyone and its philosophy is one of inclusion rather than exclusion. Whoever you are, you are welcome at Kee O Kee, for we are all part of the tribe of man. Kee O Kee is a Camelot of sorts, for it is the ideal community in which to live. It is a place where children can run free through the woods and parents can rest easy knowing that everyone is looking out for them. Here, women can bathe nude in the river without fear. It is a place where you can leave your valuables unguarded without fear of theft. I remember the first time I attended the gathering. I was amazed that everyone seemed to know one another. I knew only two faces in the crowd of two hundred or more people. I felt like a stranger at someone else's family reunion. However, it didn't take long for me to feel I belonged. Many people purposely pitched their campsites over a trail so people would have to walk through their camp, thereby providing an opportunity to meet other campers. Very often, passersby are tempted with hot meals and coffee to get them to stay and visit with the eager hosts of such campsites. Consequently, no one is a stranger long at Kee O Kee. The people of this community practice what is called "the give-away". The give-away is something that is given without expectation of something in return. The give-away can be something material or an act of random kindness. A good example would be the experience of a young woman named Nikki. Nikki arrived at her first gathering with the clothes on her back, water, and only peanuts for food. She was unknown to the tribe. However, the community provided her with a hot meal every night, a change of clothing, and a tent to sleep in for the duration of the nine day gathering. All of her needs were met unconditionally by people who had been strangers to her before and were now her friends. In 1993 what we call "The Great Flood" hit us. Many campers had made their campsites at the end of Fern Gully, near the waters edge. Torrential rains bombarded us, flooding the area at a phenomenal rate. The water was rising over a foot an hour, and the next morning the water began to make its way up the gully very quickly. Everyone pulled together to pack the people out of the flooding gully. Still others had camped across the river, and clan members risked their lives to bring them back safely. Some campers had left their tents through the week intending to come back for the weekend, yet declined to return due to the inclement weather. The tents belonging to the absentee campers that had been staked on the beach began to wash away. Again, the community pulled together and saved the untended tents and gear of those not there. Not only did we save the items from being washed away, but we wrung out clothes and sleeping bags and dried them by the fire that evening. This is the spirit of true community at work. Those of us who attend this gathering know the meaning of community. We define neighbor as "those whom we live with", not "those who live around us". We share the good times and the bad times with our neighbors, and each persons life is enriched by this community spirit. In our Camelot no one will ever go to bed hungry, and no one will sleep in the rain while there is room in any tent. The spirit of giving is too strong to let anyone go without. I wish everyone could experience the community spirit found at Kee O Kee. I believe that kind of spirit could make the world a better place for all of us. However, I have rarely found community outside of Kee O Kee, only communities with Neighborhood Watches. Kee O Kee is a registered trade mark of the Hubless Wheel Society. |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Join Our Community | |||||||||||||||||
|
How would you like to recieve an updated mailing list several times a year with other pagans of like mind who would enjoy gathering together. Heres the deal. Send me an email asking to be put on the Pagan Mailing list. Include in it your name, address, city, state, zip, telephone is optional, and email address. I'll place you on the mailing list. This list will only be used for pagan activites. E-Mail me here at [email protected] Blessed Be. Be sure to visit our other sites listed below. and those of our sponsors. Favourite Links � Happy Birthday Delia. Love you friend. lore 
| |||||||||||||||||
| � | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
This page has been visited
|