“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
It happens gradually. You’ve taken your work to the highest level you can and feel additional efforts would not result with concomitant satisfaction. You’ve been thinking of when and where you may eventually retire–or at least give up full- time work– and the urge gets stronger by the day. You meet an acquaintance that speaks about moving to a new community that is being built, and you decide to visit. You visit and are impressed with the vision and people but there is no vacancies in that community.
In the meanwhile the theme of community building and sustainability start to resonate with you. Possibly you can teach a course related to either of these themes you wonder. You read up on these themes and speak with people involved and the urge gets stronger. You can see yourself changing the focus of your teaching and moving in this new direction. You start making inquiries with the programs you are already involved with–possibly they would be open to a proposal for a new course.
A short time passes and the itch grows stronger. You hear from your friend that there may be someone who wishes to get out of his pre-construction unit agreement with this community mentioned earlier. You call him and he seems as eager to get his deposit back as you are to put yours down. A lot of legal stuff to resolve. You visit the community several times to see whether it will be a good fit. You initial feelings are confirmed and you feel more committed. The papers are signed and you step into the other’s shoes in regards to having a unit in the community. Construction will take another year or so.
In the interim, your course inquiries are bearing some fruit. You are given permission to teach a capstone course with the theme of sustainability in the program you currently teach for. You proceed to do this but the registration is not sufficient to run the course and you realize the writeup will need to be revised to make it more understandable and amenable to prospective students. The program manager for a different program you contacted about teaching a sustainability in a business program suggests there may be an opening in the fall as that instructor is leaving. Would I care to teach it? You say yes, and meanwhile make visits upstate to your sustainable, co-housing community.
Additional time passes. More trips upstate bringing belongings, lessening of ties to the city. Papers for retirement filed. People wishing you well. No more classes or work routine. A pandemic hits. Decide to participate in a ground-breaking lifestyle study in Texas. Do well, feel great. Return to NYC intent on moving with two months. Farewell to my childhood and adult neighborhood I grew up in. Time to strike the set and begin a new chapter.
A path, a vision, and ultimately, a new life.
“For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length–and there I travel looking, looking breathlessly.”
― Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, The Original Teachings in a Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition
