2012 Calls for Major Shifts!
It’s here. The year 2012 is finally upon us. It’s incredible to think that when Dandelion opened in 2006 we had no idea that the next six years would bring so many major shifts. Our first black president. Facebook and it’s instantaneous news sharing of engagements, babies being born, the party happening right now. Twitter organized revolutions by the people. New Orleans. Japan. Haiti. The massive bank fiasco. Millions of people utilizing consensus based decision making through occupation movements worldwide. A vegetable garden at the white house. A massive movement to re-localize. And a Jetson’s future turned reality with facetime on smartphones. Whoa.
In Central Florida we’ve seen massive growth in the re-localization movement: the creation of Slow Food Orlando, Ourlando Local Business Alliance, the exponential growth of Homegrown Co-op, Edible Orlando, Winter Park Harvest Festival, Audubon Park Community Market, Food Truck Bazaars, Grandma Parties, the creation of mini Main Street Districts throughout the city and mini festivals held at local businesses like never before.
At Dandelion, we’ve seen our little block transform into a haven for the open minded. Our community has welcomed the Florida School of Holistic Living, Misty Forest, Shine On Yoga, Michael Arthur Acupuncture, Urban Re-Cycle, the launch of Homegrown Co-op (now in fancy quarters on Orange Ave) along with moon circles twice monthly, the planting of the Bodhi tree, a medicinal herb garden, an edible garden, walls covered in American Clay. In our walls, dozens of people have met and fallen in love, several couples have gotten engaged, one blessed wedding and countless moments of synchronistic ah-ha moments between the amazing folks who find themselves here enjoying the delicious food and tea our tribe prepares for us.
Within our tribe, babies have been born, engagements have been proposed, hearts have been opened, dreams have been encouraged and pursued.
It is apparent to us, with enough to look back at, that the close of 2011 brings The End of The Beginning. The start-up is now established. The foundation is solid. Our community has found it’s rhythm and we know the basics of who we all are and how we are connected; what we have and what we need; when to be proactive, when to be reactive and when to leave well enough alone; where to get our needs met locally; why it is important for all of us to support local. And as a community, each of us is learning how to shift with the times by re-educating, re-skilling and re-membering that we are all here to take care of one another, to share in an atmosphere of plentitude and to co-create the “more beautiful world our hearts tell us is possible.”
Welcome to the future. 2012 is here. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are one. There is no central figure come to save us, the time of the guru is gone. We are each a leader, a teacher, a student. We are each here to do our part, we are each here to change within, to dream a new dream. Thank you for being yourself, for believing in yourself, for using your power to co-create an interdependent community that is thriving, feasting, singing, dancing and doing good work that nourishes the soul of self, family and community. We are so grateful to be in this moment out of time with each of you.
May our hearts be open at the dawn of 2012 and beyond.
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