When I was working at Dancing Rabbit this summer, I heard one of the people guiding a tour through the community speak of the importance of a "pioneer spirit" among its members. I am not a member, but I think this phrase applies very well to the Rabbits, as they are pioneers in many ways, perhaps even more so than the original European settlers to which the term refers. Beyond building a physical structure in which to live, the pioneers at DR are also attempting to recreate their entire way of being, at virtually every level. The challenges of this adventure are great, but so are the rewards, as are the potential benefits to the citizens of our emerging ecological age.
There is a sense of adventure at DR, of exploring territory that is new to at least some of those present in any given situation. I recall an occasion last spring when the tractor was stuck axle deep in the mud out in the fields. We organized a rescue party, and nearly a dozen of us ventured off to save it. Few of us had realized that the ground would be so soft, even after experiencing the winter snow's melt off and the spring rains. Neither had any of us ever had the pleasure of excavating a half-buried tractor, although a few had some experience with the occasional stuck car or truck. We dug and pulled and heaved and sweated, trying this tactic and that, boards under the wheels, long trenches to guide them out, rocking forward and backward, adding gravel for traction. Many people contributed ideas; all contributed a great deal of energy. We were hard at it for an entire day, and even managed to free the tractor and get it rolling, only to feel our gains melt away as quickly as the tractor settled again into the ooze. Eventually, all of us were exhausted, and retired back to the village for supper and rest. The next day, Cecil and Megan set off with a load of gravel, and brought the tractor home. It took only one idea that worked, but many attempts to create a situation for the solution to be realized.
This story is illustrative of the DR's role I see for DR as a pioneering community. On a physical level, life at DR is full of challenges, as new ideas are implemented and experiments carried out. Constructing an entire infrastructure on a sustainable basis is an enormous task, requiring both physical labor and a considerable measure of sheer courage. As the nineteenth century pioneers learned to cope with the climate and understand their new, chosen land, the pioneers at DR are learning to live with, and love, the changing nature of their environment, and to accommodate the natural rhythms it imposes upon them. Tractors get stuck in the mud, an experimental plaster is beaten off the wall by west-wind-driven rain, and buildings that were expected to be habitable for winter are not ready. Yet the courage to transcend these setbacks is requisite to the process of creating a new way of life. Like all pioneers, the Rabbits are going past the frontiers of convention and charting new territories. And foremost of these frontiers is the one each must cross within their own mind.
On an emotional level, too, the challenges of this life are often daunting. Yet there is a promising openness in the processes the community uses to interact with one another; an understanding of the importance of the feelings and thoughts of each and every person that finds expression in the way that ideas are discussed and decisions are made. The eco-feminist perspective on which the Dancing Rabbit community is founded translates into a respect and consideration of every being that helps a great deal to smooth the path toward true sustainability at a personal level. It isn't perfect, of course, but pioneering is about process, and learning to take the time to listen to and learn from one another. At DR, all share the dream of expressing their love of the Earth and of one another, and that love is among their greatest rewards. As we strengthen one another, we are all the stronger for it: the community is not only the sum of its parts, but relies on the synergy of the whole group to succeed.
In some sense, I see DR as a symbol of the efforts that each of us is making to change our world. Perhaps all of us who are friends of the Dancing Rabbit community can share to some degree in their sense of innovation and adventure as we express our own sense of mission, exploring the frontiers in our own ways. We share with the Rabbits a sense of optimism, a belief that we are able to solve the problems that confront us, as well as a strong desire to learn to live in cooperation with the Earth and one another. My experience at DR restored my faith that there is something that I can do to make a difference, and, more importantly, reminded me that I was not alone in my love of the Earth or in my hope of a better world. The folks at DR, and those in a growing number of other communities, are pioneers in their own right, expanding the frontiers of possibility as we move towards a new, eco-centric culture. But more, they represent the pioneering urge that is present in each of us. Some of us will join the community and experience the joy of exploring the frontiers along with them. But all of us gain by the work they are doing, and all gain through the synergy that we enjoy when we share our strength with them.
Roger co-facilitated (with his wife, Lisa) the construction of Skyhouse during the 2001 building season. He is an eco-village researcher and writer, as well as founder of Earth Faith, a synthesis of ecology and spirituality.
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