COMMUNALIST MANIFESTO

Sandboxes

I live in a very small, rural town, in a valley famed for its agricultural products.  There seems to be a high proportion of people with good educations and progressive ideas. With all this discourse in community it would seem that the most fertile ground for me to plant seeds would be within the community I currently live in.  I, however, like playing in my own sandbox.

Perhaps it is all the trust issues imparted upon me from my upbringing.  It could be that my dance card is pretty full from the lifetime of deep connections that I still honor.  My philosophy is that friendships are like a fine aged wine.  One can blend, mix, and cajole the fruit to reveal its complex essence, but you can never substitute time.

It does not mean that I am not participating in the community I live in, but rather the level of trust, communication, and intimacy that I believe I need, takes time to foster.

In the meantime, I'll keep building my castle in the sand... just in my sandbox.

Partnership

“Never enter a partnership.”

One of the Three Fundamental Laws of Business Success, as taught to me by my mentor Lucas, was to be wary of taking on partners. Lucas is a staunch Republican who served in WWII as an Army MP in Europe.  Lucas is from the old school- he bought his business on a handshake and worked long hours, seven days a week, building it into a multimillion dollar enterprise with one of the most impressive wine selections in the country.  It was because of Lucas, I have my current job that I love. (Thanks Mark!).  After I got there, Zs’ Liquors also ended up having one of the best beer selections in the country- or at least the best selection of Anderson Valley Brewing Company beer.

If I were to listen to the wisdom of my mentor, I am sure that I would be very successful in life.  I like to think of myself as a can-do, take-charge kind of guy and I feel that I have achieved a lot of what I have sought out to do.  I also believe that entering a partnership is a lot like polyamory- it is possible, but very few people have the communication skills and trust structures to make it work long term.

Does this mean that I have given up on partnerships?  No. 

I remember attending the wedding of Bill & Jenny.  A line in their vows stuck with me. It was something like “We decided to get married when we realized that what we could contribute to the world together was greater than if we were separate.”  That idea resonated deeply with me.  Achieving that union in life, or even in business, is worth all the risk of disappointment in the attempt.

Partnerships are a marriage of vision and ideals.  They flourish though communication and cooperation.  I have seen almost the same number of successes in both marriages and corporations.  I have also observed, for both, the number of successes are far outweighed by the failures.

My friend Sam recently asked me what my thoughts are regarding interweaving love and business partnerships. I can’t say that I have extensive experience with the phenomena- a long-lasting business partnership or romantic relationship, but I think the the idea is very romantic and beautiful.  You and your partner- partners in a conspiracy of two, spreading love and light throughout the universe. I am unsure as to the existence of such a relationship, but I wholeheartedly believe in the attempt to materialize it.

I think, if I can master mixing love and business partnerships with one other person, I would have made great headway into doing so with a community.  I like to think what is generated in the relationship sets the context of relationship in community.

So here I find myself chasing the ultimate folly.  I wish to enter a partnership of me +n people, when I have been told success comes easier if it is me +1, and almost assured if it was just me.  However, I know if we can make it work, I know we can change the world; that is worth falling down and picking oneself up- many times over.

Lucas would shake his head.

A Letter to Jen

JG,

It seems like yesterday when we last saw each other.  I am sorry I never went to the memorial. I guess I have a hard time saying good-bye - even at the end of a phone call.  Ironically I am not one for crowds, and I thought our connection was something far more private.

I am thinking of you today and wanted to write some things.

I can remember the first time we connected, sharing the 'loaf',  overlooking the fog entombing the eucalyptus trees from the widow of the Archipelago break-room.  We talked about the city and futures at places that should be.  You rekindled my passion in the dream of all things community.  When I moved to San Francisco, I knew I would see you again, and sure enough you followed not long after. 

We were like school yard chums, running about to different corners of the playground, coming back to our sandbox with the myriad of treasures we found.   You brought the language and world of transformation to my life and embodied it in physical form.  The way you would look at me and how you believed in me, I felt that nothing was outside the bounds of possibility. When our heads conspired with our hearts, we made incredible things happen.  You were a perfect partner in crime.

I met you as the fair maiden dazzling all those who would glimpse your golden visage and mesmerizing those who caught your gaze. Wandering the halls with clipboard in hand, a smile on your face. It brought sunshine to those gray foggy Monterey mornings.  I will never forget how you would prepare for me jasmine tea curled into tiny orbs and just enough honey to sweeten.

I saw you bloom into a woman standing for women everywhere and challenging all the men you ever met.  My image of you, together with the two other most powerful women in my life, SK and my mother, standing resolute in my freedom will forever be a humbling moment and which I can never truly express all my undying gratitude.  When I called in desperation for that favor, there was not one quiver, not even an iota of doubt, but just a simple "of course."  There have been few men in my life that responded with such conviction.

I saw you as the crone.  In those last days with the polished patina worn down. You were elegant and real. Pausing to reflect more- each motion, movement, conversation measured carefully, not wasted.  I remember the walk we took down your block, and I felt what it would be like to have grown old together.  I am thankful to have spent a lifetime with you.

I most of all remember the times in the sun on a Sonoma ridgetop.  We would laugh, love, and play, while scheming about how we were going to change tomorrow.  I can still hear your voice telling me "JK I see us on our property and I am walking through the woods and hearing you play the guitar."  Whenever I go back to Plantation and I can get a few moments on the steps of High Trees, I play the guitar and think of you and I feel you dancing amongst the redwoods. 

So I write again about a vision we shared, and I know that it is not only me writing but that piece of you in me, that will never die.

Home on the Weekend

I stayed in the valley this weekend.  This has been a change for me as of late.  The city's siren call is so difficult to ignore, but taking time to care for all things personal and domestic helps me set the tone and pace for the week to come.   As of late, my life has felt frenetic.

I have only made one other major move in my adult life.   I moved from that land of milk and honey- Santa Cruz, relocating to the big bad Bay Area.   I had moved in winter to take a 'real job.'  I found myself anticipating the clock striking 5:00 pm and scrambling to my pre-packed car to race back down to re-engage a life that was comfortable and safe. All my friends were still an hour south and in the cold darkness of winter it was a welcome respite from the confronting loneliness of the city.

I have found that after a decade of San Francisco, it is more my home than ever and the urge to rush back and drink deeply from its cultural cup is difficult.  Not only is the impetus the close friendships I have fostered, nor the food and culture, but also the promise of possibility.  The possibility of meeting someone doing something making a fundamental difference in other people's lives or the in the world around them.  

I think also, being a 30-something bachelor in an area where "the odds are good, but the goods are odd," that the possibility of running into a female form of grace incarnate, is a call that is even greater to ignore.  Loreley is constantly echoing into my ear.

But I am here now.  My work is fulfilling and more true to my soul than  any other work that I have done before.  I am not saying that my current job is my soul's true work, but that I am on the right track towards that goal.  Like anything that I have committed to, distractions manifest the moment I let my word dictate my attention, seeking to test my resolve.   I often fail, but pick myself up, as is human. I Then recommit to that path which is sometimes lonely, but in the end always the most fulfilling. 

A first step

The Harvest Fest kick-off meeting was a success.  The people who committed to the call at 9:30 am on a Saturday brought so many good ideas and energy to this project. A word keeps coming up for me - 'Open-Source.'  I believe that democracy is the open-sourcing of government.

To me, Burning Man is the open sourcing of events.  I get excited about this festival as a personal open-source experiment.  To bring some of the most creative and talented people and to explore what can be created. I am truly excited. 

To me this event is but the stepping stone in building the foundation for my opus.  The process is taking a simple idea, coalescing into vision, and then materializing in form through directed concerted effort and attention, is what put us on the moon and to deliver us from the catastrophic precipice we now face.

The notion that the noble maverick will deliver us to safety is the myth propagated by the media.  Only the inspired community can focus and direct the talents and power of the individual into a force greater than the sum of it parts.

That is what I felt after hanging up the phone.  I am excited about tomorrow and the next 100 days.

Reap What You Sow, Share What You Know

I have long dabbled in event promotion. In high school I threw some very memorable parties. My first girlfriend, LF, had a house with an indoor pool and a trampoline. Given that I worked at a liquor store, all I needed was a band and my birthday bash was something I will never forget. 

Then I moved to San Francisco.  Not only did I meet people who were knee deep into the party scene, but I had access to warehouses.  I think my two most memorable events were included a party that involved fire dancing, a rope swing, and catered breakfast. The other was Love 'n Sin.

All along the way I have been fortunate to work with events such as the High Sierra Music Festival and The Santa Cruz Blues Festival.  I slogged my way through jobs that have included garbage & recycling, undercover roving security, and driving.  I watched what worked and what didn't, meeting a myriad of wonderful people on all sides of the stage. 

Now I have access to 27 acres, unlimited beer, and a group of kick-ass, can-do people.  So I am excited to kick-off the Boonville Harvest Fest with a conference call this weekend. 

There is already the Legendary Boonville Beer Festival and the Sierra Nevada Music Festival (yes, it is held in Boonville, not the Sierra Nevadas. No it is not a Sierra Nevada Brewing Company event - go figure), but I want to do this different.  I want Harvest Fest to be smaller, more intimate. My ultimate goal is to create an event that artists WANT to come play. I want to make it more inclusive of the community.  The common complaint about the other music event is that it brings more nuisance than money to local businesses. I also want to make Harvest Fest more eco-friendly and sustainable - to try and bring a little more of the Burning Man "Leave No Trace" mentality to the event.

My good friend BM, a long-time veteran of the festival circuit, recommended that Columbus Day Weekend would be the most auspicious date - since most other three-day weekends have significant established events already.   We call it a "Harvest Festival" because that weekend coincides closely with the harvesting of our estate-grown hops for our fresh hop beer. It also is when the valley's agricultural bounty is brought in - wine, weed, and all.

Our tagline is "Reap What You Sow, Share What You Know." (Thanks for the "Teach/Share Distinction Brad!)  I want to make it about community. The proceeds will benefit the local radio station which has been instrumental in quilting this valley and its sparse residents together into a common culture.  I also want to bring in local and sustainable food vendors to provide nourishment to camped out revelers.

So if anyone has ideas on who should play, or in how to make this event better, please chime in!  Otherwise, I hope to see you out there dancing in the autumn sunshine.

Eschewing Excuses

The current estimate that I have read is that the national average unemployment rate is 7.2 percent. So roughly, on average, 7 people out of 100 I know are unemployed.  My Facebook page does not corroborate that, but then again I am sure unemployment is less in the Bay Area (where most of my friends live) and most of the people with the socio-economic backgrounds to use Facebook on a regular basis, are probably in a lower unemployment cohort than many others.

One of those 7 people is my friend NJ.   Another friend of mine DS once told me after the Dot-Bomb, "If you are not working, you should be writing."  This is even doubly so for my dear friend NJ.  So I have entered a pact with him that we would both write for 10 minutes a day.  For me, this will allow my posts to be more frequent and less wordy. For him, I hope this exercise is a catalyst to fire up his passion for a gift that I know he has. 

Change

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday we saw the end of 8 years of a failed experiment. I can put on many different hats and analyze this momentous occasion.

When I put on my tin foil beanie, I think that no change really comes every four years and the only thing that happens is we put on a new mask to keep the mob at bay. The true rulers of this country and of all countries are the rich via corporations. The last eight years were the secret shadow rulers' chance to squeeze out as much as they could before they could no longer hold the mobs' attention at bay. I could go on, but that would mean painting a dismal patina on my day, so I try not to put on my tin foil hat that often.

I could also put on my hopeful dreamer hat. This is where I believe the system works- that we are that beacon of freedom that shines brightly across the globe bringing with it truth, understanding, and opportunity. It is from this place I think about a patchwork of ideas that came together to create a foundation for a country which allows its government to reinvent itself not just every four years, but every year. Once every four years we pick out one of us, who is able to inspire a vision of a future and bring us together to overcome any obstacles in achieving our common goal.

I find that I most often default to wearing my economist hat. This one lies somewhere between the two. I understand the role of the CEO, and the almost magical effect it has on productivity of an organization. I also realize the role of public opinion in how people spend and work. We don't have a true market economy, but a market full of players able to influence rules, regulations, and subsidies to give them competitive advantage. I don't think that this is necessarily a bad thing, as long as those players are invested in the betterment of the society at large and not just their personal bank accounts. Tax what we want to reduce, subsidize what we want to have more of. Tax carbon emissions and fossil fuels, give subsidies to green tech and education. The rhetoric of our 44th President is deeply moving and persuasive, but I base his merit on the policies he chooses. We have momentum right now- we have resolve... the next 100 days will shape the course of the next four years.

I think of the quote by Winston Churchill...

"IN THE END, AMERICANS WILL ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING--AFTER EXPLORING ALL OTHER ALTERNATIVES."

In some ways it takes great challenge to call forth a great leader. Our 43rd President was our President of Apathy. Things were not bad enough for us to demand excellence. Given where our apathy has brought us, I have hope that our 44th President is the right man for the job.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I personally celebrate the start of a new year 3 times.   My first fete of course comes at 12:00 Jan 1. 2008 came and went so fast. I cannot believe that I have spent my second New Years Eve in Boonville.  It was a relatively quiet one, but not for a lack of invitations.  I have always preferred not going out on ‘amateur nights’ (thanks MC!) – NYE, All Hallows Eve, St. Patty’s, etc. - but prefer to engage my libations without the barbarian hordes. 

My second New Year comes with Tet – also known as Chinese New Year.  This year we are entering the year of the Water Buffalo – or in the Chinese calendar it is the Ox. The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work and seems fitting for the road that we all will travel this year.

Me third New Year usually starts on the way home from the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy.  I usually stop at the river on the way home and wipe away the dust and hippy-grime accumulated over the past week’s festivities. With the drifting patchouli, I take stock of my life that passed since the last time I sat on the same river edge, watching that experience flow away to the great ocean of consciousness.   I am ready for what is to come.

So on a whole other note, we are now only 3 years away from 2012.  What does that mean to you?  There is a movie coming out that will prey on this viral mass meme, so it would be interesting to think about what 2012 means to each of us.  I see it as a fundamental shift in all that we value and believe.  Ultimately I think it gives us access to something we take for granted – Finiteness.

When I get in touch with the finiteness of this existence – for example on a heroic dose of mushrooms or a near-death experience, what is not important fades away, and what I am left with is an overwhelming experience of the NOW.  Maybe the 2012 meme will allow our collective consciousness to come back to the moment and re-evaluate all of our decisions with how we choose to spend our time and our relationship to love.

A good friend once said to me in regards to the whole Y2K meme, “I’ll be out in the woods with a big bag of Krugerrands, a big bag of speed and a .45.”

Personally whatever comes down, I hope that I have a group of people I trust to have my back and with whom I have infinite love for.  Although a rocket-propelled chainsaw wouldn’t suck either.

I hope that everyone makes his or her wishes come true in 2009.