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July 28, 2007
An Unintended Stop
As we left New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Sheena and I were busy catching up -- she excitedly telling me about the time she spent in Guatemala this year, I filling her in on my recent return to Ghana.
This project has brought me back in touch with a lot of friends from various parts of my past. Sheena and I went to Ghana together last year. Though we've been out of touch since our return to Canada, she gladly accepted our invitation to join us for part of the journey.
Sheena interrupted herself in the middle of a story about her friend Julie who was in Guatemala with her:
"Actually, I think she lives off this exit here."
Before we knew it, we were on the exit ramp, and Sheena was giving Dom directions to Julie's house.
We arrived at a beautiful old farm house overlooking layers of green hills to surprised squeals of welcome. Within minutes of our arrival, we were offered dinner, a place to sleep, and an invitation to a party at the farm the following night. We accepted all three graciously.
This is the type of happenstance that has characterized our journey thus far. We've made a conscious effort to be open to spontaneous circumstances like this, and to let them guide us as much as possible.
At Julie's, we found a group of close friends and family sharing space, chores, farm work, food, and fun. We learned that a community doesn't have to be explicitly "intentional" to have purpose and cohesion. Though everyone in this community has their own personal reasons for being there, this group of people is an excellent example of the positive impact that living and sharing with others can have on our individual spirits and our sense of belonging.
Posted by shayna at July 28, 2007 08:40 PM
