A few years ago I moved from the United States to a very unusual 15th century town in the central mountains of Mexico. I was coming from a very small rural town in the Midwest with its claim to fame being that the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright had build a summer home there.
Taliesin East in Spring Green , Wisconsin is one of the main sources of the quality of life there. Many tourists come to see Taliesin but it is the wonderful sight of it as you pass by each day that fills you with gratitude. And then after all the tourist go for the day there are those special moment of being invited into Mr. Wrights living room by personal Taliesin friends. Each summer a special Garden Party offered by the Fellowship to the community was always on my calendar.
This is Mr. Wrights living room. One of my last events in Spring Green was the graduation party of my friend Dakotah from the school of architecture. In a very rare moment we got to actually eat dinner in this room. I remember thinking how special is was for my last moment of a 20 year history with this grand place.
Me in Mr. Wright's living room . Oct. 2009
Life was constant. Each summer the river rolled gently by.
Beach parties, canoe trips, world class theater nearby, Sh*tty Barn concerts, Bob Dylan fest,Riverfest, and summers end with Beatlesfest. Year after year of lovely summer events and beautiful winter quiet. I prided myself on how many friends I had made over the 20 years of living there. Comforting in the golden years to know you have friends who will be there for you "if and when. "
(Spring Greens main socializing place was the General Store. Source of great coffee, small intimate musician jam sessions, and slow delicious food.)
( The symbols of living in a farm community of the Midwest)
But I had been living my life for many years following signs and symbols. I used to tell people that I lived like Hansel and Gretel following bread crumbs in the woods.
I never had done any long term planning.It seemed that it was more fun to me to flow with these symbols and signs that was like having an invisible partner leaving me little surprises to show the way. The "way" usually was indicated in that day, a week, or maybe a few months ahead.
Living the comfortable life of my Midwestern town the signs were getting harder to find and symbols almost non-existant. Life was totally predictable. Then a few years ago there was the opportunity to let go of absolutely everything and move to a country I did not know the language and had never been to. I leaped.
I knew where life was heading, to the "if and when" part.
