Page 4 - C.A.L.L. #33 - Winter 2010/2011
P. 4
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is an intentional community in Rutledge, Missouri, USA,
practicing ecological sustainability. Here is a report from November 2010, written by
member Alline Anderson, who originally hails from the San Francisco area.
If you had asked me, when I first from roads (where they go, what they
moved to Dancing Rabbit eleven years are made of, where the drainage is,
ago, what I thought life here would what they are named), to cemeteries
look like, I probably would have waxed (what will they be like – rows of
rhapsodic about a simple life – relaxing markers or a more natural conservation
in front of the fire in the winter, area? Do we allow embalming? Who can
growing vegetables in the summer, be buried here?), to energy policy
taking long leisurely walks in the fall. I (should we start planning for a huge
imagined spending a lot of time wind turbine?), to pets (how many free-
chatting with friends, lounging in the roaming dogs are too many? What
sunshine and reading, baking crusty about cats and songbirds?), to social
loaves of bread to be topped with events (who is hosting Thanksgiving
home-made jam, and generally living the this year? What will we do for New
good life. Year’s?). We do it
all. And it takes
In the years since hours and hours
my arrival I have and hours.
found that reality
is often in Additionally, when
conflict with my something happens
vivid imagination. here at Dancing
I have also Rabbit, good or
learned that bad, we are the
compromises are ones we call. Is
required in virtually every part of my that downpour flooding the road and
life, and that the simple life requires a the Community Building? Then we had
lot of work. better all get out there with shovels to
divert the flow, since we can’t exactly
While lounging and relaxing are call MoDot. An outbreak of chicken pox
certainly a part of my Ecovillage life, among the children, and we have a
they are just a teeny little smidgen pregnant member and several members
part. Unlike life in well-established with compromised immune systems? We
towns and villages, members of Dancing had better figure out a way to keep
Rabbit spend an inordinate amount of everyone safe and healthy while taking
time creating structure for ourselves. care of the little itchy ones. So-and-
This is enormously time-consuming, but so’s dog snapped at someone? We had
also enormously gratifying. Imagine better evaluate what happened and
being able to have a say in every take appropriate action, since we will
decision made about your community – not be calling Animal Control. Maikwe’s
4
