The March Hare: Fall '03
Issue 38

Rabbit dens: under construction! * Thanks readers! * Life in a fishbowl * Member Bio: Ted * Ecovillage map * Sustainability, and hard work * Recovering wilderness on the prairie * Nature Corner * Chicken to go

Life in a fishbowl
by Alline Anderson

As a six-foot tall woman, I'm used to attracting attention. But I was sorely unprepared for the attention I receive since I moved to Dancing Rabbit and sparsely populated Northeast Missouri (aka NEMO).

Everyone knows who we are. Everyone. They may not know any Rabbits by name, but they know we're Rabbits. When one of us writes a check and the store clerk looks at the address, they often exclaim, "Oh! I've always wanted to get out there and see what y'all are doing." We're often perceived (probably unconsciously) as a sort of single-minded organism: a "one of you wanted to order organic eggs -- here they are" sort of thing.

One of the strangest experiences was the first time I attended the Kirksville Quilt Guild. While I was standing to be introduced by a friend, the Guild President whispered to me, "You look so familiar!" I whispered back that I had attended the Guild's Quilt Show. She shook her head, and then it came to her. "I've been in your house!" she exclaimed. Apparently she was one of the many folks who had toured our house that year. It felt kind of odd, creepy almost. It wasn't: "I've been in your house and it was really cool" or even: "I've been in your house and it was really, um, well, interesting." Our lives, and our homes, are open books, and that's not always comfortable.

Alline and Kurt on vacation...out of the fishbowl

I don't mean to portray local folks as being gawking curiosity seekers--generally they are curious, but respectful. And our neighbors have been incredibly kind, generous and helpful. Our neighbor Curvin has pulled us out of the mud many times. Lots of people help us out by letting us pick the fruit they can't eat, or take away extra building materials they don't need. In turn we all take care to be respectful of the norms of a small town in our behavior and dress.

Here at DR we share much of our lives with people we don't know. We do this for many reasons. For one, our mission is educational. We want to demonstrate more eco-friendly ways to live. Also, if we let local people know what we're up to, there is less cause for alarm and weird rumors (although my favorite question from this year's Open House was "so you're NOT a nudist colony?").

So I vacillate between feeling like an exhibit in an Eco freak show, and feeling happy to be living my life here in the country. The country life continues to tug at my heart and work itself into the lead in this little battle. Country life certainly leapt to the front on Open House Day when a visitor told Tereza's mom, "Gosh, it's such an honor that they chose to build here!" Wow. It doesn't get much better than that!

Rabbit dens: under construction! * Thanks readers! * Life in a fishbowl * Member Bio: Ted * Ecovillage map * Sustainability, and hard work * Recovering wilderness on the prairie * Nature Corner * Chicken to go