Act One    

 

The Philosophy of Self

 

Scene One: A big red armchair sits fireside

 

 

Voice Over:

“I learned when I was young that the only true life I have is the life of my brain. And if its true that the only life I have is the life of my brain what sense does it make to hand that brain over to somebody for eight hours a day for their particular use on the presumption that at the end of the day they will give it back in an unmutilated condition? Fat chance.”

                                                -FryingPan Jack  (Utah Philips)

 

Narrator:

            “Life denotes a function” (Dewey p. 9). If it doesn't then it seems to slip away with relatively no coherence. I started to notice rather recently that I could very easily tinker my life away like a stereotypical Gemini, the Jack-of-all-Trades, master of none. From music to art, philosophy to sociology, politics and education; I could pick any direction and be readily challenged, but still miss all the others equally. I began to see myself as an aging worker bee who's “life is largely pre-programmed, ... activities being a function of her physical development & capability at any given time” (Bonney p.53).

            But I, I could not find myself so confined. My flux is my “will & creative energy” (Dewey p.51). The ability to pick and choose where my energy will go is beyond me, but it is also inspired by me. “Following the path of least resistance is what makes the river crooked” (Utah Philips). I need the freedom to alter course here and there, if not for anything but to keep myself interested; challenged. Both the structure of the progressive education as I have come to find it at Green Mountain College, and the faculty involved were instrumental in letting me find my own way. They knew that the path less traveled is inherently not on the straight and narrow, but can be beneficial all the same. It's not the structure of  education that is important as much as the product and its resulting possibilities.

 

Scene Two: Sitting at kitchen table: hot coffee & candles

Voice Over:

“ We recognize that throughout nature we have to face the general principle of unit-formation, and the fact that new units need not be a mere sum of the component parts, but can be an actually new entity not wholly predictable from the component parts and known only through actual experience with the specific product.”

                                                                      -Dewey p. 145

Narrator:

            Everything I've done, every class I've taken, every interest I've shown doesn't seem to fit anyones preconceived path except my own. Unlike the worker bee, it is possible for me to deviate from the normal patterns without being cast out by the colony. No matter how crooked and unpredictable the waters may be, thanks to its many tributaries constantly pushing it forward and adding to its depth, the river always finds its way to the ocean.

            The decision to start a home-based business had nothing to do with success. It's not about rolling profit margins or booming popularity. Yes, at some point financial security would be welcomed, but the decision to strive for self-sufficiency, to minimize as much as possible the need for purchasing outside resources is to liberate us from the daunting need to work longer hours simply to be able to  buy more.

            Rather than working an uninteresting job, striving for someone else's maximum gains, we opted for the next obvious option: self employment.  This “choice is not arbitrary, not in a universe like this one” because “ reflection exists to guide choice & effort” (Dewey p.76).  And such reflection “sets out from the problematic & confused” (Dewey p. 65). And I? I must admit that I'm a little of each.

            I'd like to think I've left Nietzsche's lion behind and have headed out on the back of a  camel. Now that I've realized, not necessarily 'what' it is, but 'how' it is I want to be, I am ready to bare the load. To pick a direction when all you can see is sand and sun, and take the responsibility and consequences presented to you during your travels, is a sign of maturity.

Scene Three: Standing near front door, putting on jacket

 

Voice Over:

“We enjoy farming” says Roller Olson of Linden Tree Farm, “but we'd rather promote and sell ideas – about the skills needed to grow good food & create jobs that can rejuvenate rural economies – not just peddle crops”

                                                                      -Lee p. 234

Narrator:

            The easiest way to lead is by example, whether it's good or bad. “Nature has no preference for good things or bad things; its mills turn out any kind of grist indifferently” (Dewey p.112).  Conversely people, as consumers, do care. When either buying a product or an idea, it's almost always the marketing that makes the sale.

            Over the course of the summer, emmy and I have worked for many people under the guise of a company called 'Wicked Good Landscaping'. Other than the grass cutting and leaf raking we have also been able to do more productive and beneficial work. But even the monotonous stuff has its perks, pocket cash and plenty of free compostable materials.

            Partially inspired by skater Morgan's presentation on suburban gardening and the Victory Garden propaganda from WW2, we started advertising the idea of garden installations and have so far had one taker. We have been contracted to design and install a small, manageable garden for the owner of the local country store. The benefits of such work are numerous.

            The freedom to find design and function are welcomed. In this case we decided upon a circular design with a pie shaped crop rotation. The aesthetic appearance mixed with the simplicity of mulching and irrigating makes the idea seem more appealing. Now, facing the ability to “try  it before I buy it”, we are getting paid to try out our ideas before we  actually subscribe to it. It feels more like being commissioned for an artistic requisition rather than a labor intensive contract job. “Fortunate for us is it that tools and their using can be directly enjoyed; otherwise all work would be drudgery” (Dewey p.128).

Voice Over:  

“Wanting to work closer to my home played an important role in my becoming a market gardener... Driving to work is expensive, frustrating and time consuming and it takes me away from more enjoyable activities.”

                                                                      -Lee p.30

Narrator:

            From childhood experience I have learned that farms can be “a safe and fun place to live and work and play” (Lee p.312). But before you can have a home-based business, you first must have a home.

**Dim House Lights**

End of Act One