Namesake

There was something featureless yet complete,
Born before heaven and earth;
Silent, amorphous, it stood alone and unchanging.

We may regard it as the mother of heaven and earth.
Not knowing its name, I style it the "Way."
--Tao Te Ching

The title of this blog, Emerald Way, comes from an idea that crystallized and expanded in my head over the last ten years or so.  Back then, I was playing disc golf all the time and began competing in tournaments, traveling to lots of new courses, and generally soaking up the positive vibes.  In Wisconsin, you see a fair number of homemade courses installed by individuals on their private land, and that became a future goal, more like part of a retirement plan. 

Years before all that, in the course of reading about and exploring topics of interest, I got really fascinated with the concept of intentional communities.  From Amish/Mennonite enclaves (which exist here in Wisco) to Israeli kibbutzes to hippie communes, I was struck by the notion of organizing a community around a motivating principle/s.  Then trying to understand why they fail, why they succeed, what principles really bind a community together.

Those thoughts crept back into my head and begged several questions.  What's the point of having 40-80 acres of land, even with visitors there to disc, if you're just going to live there alone?  Why not invite people to live and/or work there?  And why not include everyone who does in a fair share of the profits?

I don't know how many people are like me.  I'm 45 and I've worked manual labor jobs most of my adult life.  They've taken their toll.  I also love the variety of city life, but truthfully, I'm ready to go back to Nature for good.  I'm ready to drop out of the rat race and go back to a simpler Way.  A more spiritual Way.

It's hard to define exactly what the eventual site/business would look like without having a piece of land already, without knowing how much space we'd have to work with, without knowing who would be participating and what skills they might bring, etc.  Ideally, it would have one or two full disc golf courses, a shop, a restaurant serving locally-sourced/grown onsite food and drink, and 3 accommodation options (rustic camping, hostel-like rooms, and simple cabins about the property).

Ideally, it would be a place for anyone willing to contribute their skills and labor for the good of the group.  To share the work and share the profits.  To make a change and opt for a "job" that's fulfilling and meaningful.

This year I hope to make this dream a reality.  Leave a comment if you'd consider a move from the city to the country.