Inspiring Ideas
The House by the Side of the Road
THERE are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the place of their self-content;
There are souls like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze the paths
Where highways never ran-
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by-
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat
Nor hurl the cynic's ban-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I see from my house by the side of the road
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife,
But I turn not away from their smiles and tears,
Both parts of an infinite plan-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead,
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
And still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone.
Let me live in my house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by-
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish - so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban?
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Sam Walter Foss (1858-1911)
Notes from John Mcknight’s opening remarks in Nova Scotia, July 2009.
There is a new worldwide movement developing, made up of people with a different vision for their local communities.
It is a hand made, home made vision. And, wherever we look it is a culture that starts the same way.
First, we see what we have – individually, as neighbours and in this place of ours.
Second, we know that the power of what we have grows from creating new connections and relationships among and between what we have.
Third, we know that these connections happen when we individually or collectively act to make the connections – they don’t just happen by themselves.
We also know that these three steps can often be blocked by great corporate, governmental, professional and academic institutions. They often say to us, “you are inadequate, incompetent, problematic or broken. We will fix you”.
We ignore these voices and strive to be citizens – people with the vision and power to create a culture of community capacity, connection and care.
Locally we are the site of care. Institutions can only offer service – not care. We cannot purchase care. Care is the freely given commitment from the heart of one to another. As neighbours, we care for each other. We care for children. We care for our elders. And it is this care that is the basic power of a community of citizens. Care cannot be provided, managed or purchased from systems.
Fortunately, at the heart of our movement are three universal and abundant powers.
The giving of gifts – the gifts of the people in our neighbourhoods are boundless
The power of association – in association we join our gifts together and they become amplified, magnified, productive and celebrated.
Hospitality – we welcome strangers because we value their gifts and need to share our own.
There is no limit to our gifts, our associations and our hospitality.
State of loneliness
The government's new public services reforms focus on rights and entitlements, but, argues Charles Leadbeater, supportive relationships are key to tackling social ills.
Charles Leadbeater - The Guardian, Wednesday 1 July 2009
Read a copy of the article Here
12 Domains of People Powered Change"
Twelve domains that people are uniquely able to change through handmade and homemade solutions. - Cormac Russell
See the full document Here
Community Currency Guide
The best guide to complimentary currencies by Bernard Lietaer and Gwendolyn Hallsmith
See the guide Here
