Gare's Bio

Gare's Bio - March 13, 2003

“ You must be the change you wish to see in the world. ” - Mohandas K. Gandhi

I grew up in rural South Carolina in a good home with good parents. I was raised in a lower-middle class environment with middle-class tastes. Now I have no class. I identify as a social class warrior. I spent 25 years in South Carolina creating various levels of havoc before moving to various states along the East Coast in pursuit of my early interests in sociology and later computer programming.

One of my proudest achievements in my past life was being supportive of my partner while she earned her Ph.D. I have learned over the last few years to appreciate vegetarianism. Also, I have engaged in re-learning to think beyond the corporate-consumption mindset to try to find real enjoyment in my life. I am very interested in implementing self-sufficiency and simplicity in my daily life and sharing common resources with like-minded people. Ayn Rand meets Karl Marx.

Some of my favorite authors over the years are:

Ursula K. Le Guin

Ayn Rand

Karl Marx

Philip K. Dick

Frank Herbert

Donald Black

Some of my favorite movies:

The Matrix

Blade Runner

Brazil

The Wizard of Oz

Pink Floyd- The Wall

I'm pretty new to the environmental movement, and I enjoy learning from all of the great people here at DR. As a component to sustainable development, developing an environmental consciousness is important to me. I'm enjoying every minute of it.

I'm currently working on converting the large grain bin on the property to living quarters. It's a great building experience, and I'm looking forward to living there for the next few years. For income, I hope to balance working indoors with doing different types of work outdoors.

I am drawn to Dancing Rabbit because of the challenges involved in building a village in the middle of the Midwest with limited resources and employment options. It's quite the frontier experience. I feel that moving to Dancing Rabbit is one of the most challenging yet rewarding things that anyone can do. For the first time in my adult life I feel that I am home.

I'm aware of the selective nature of the Dancing Rabbit project (live for 6 months in a tent? Are you crazy? Eat Vegan? What's that? Is it some kind of rodent? ) I plan to work to encourage diverse types of people to come to Dancing Rabbit. Related to this, I am very interested in issues surrounding egalitarian living and the dynamics between group processes and individual freedom. I am attracted to non-hierarchical, participatory decision-making, and work to make decision-making processes as inclusive as possible.

I'm especially interested in participating in small-group interactions, groups, and co-ops here at DR. I hope to possibly one day be a part of a small, family-size group of compatible folks.

If you are really bored, you can read my notes from my first vist to DR in February, 2001. They are here.

last updated Dec. 3, 2002