Readers of this blog understand that I appreciate epic challenges and adventures. In my younger, pre-married w/ children life, that meant many things – 100 mile bike rides through mountains, walking 50 miles in a day (only made 44 before my feet gave out) driving through a herd of Buffalo on a motorcycle (very slowly blaring the horn and talking to them, I literally had to shove them aside with my legs as they were blocking the road. Still one of the coolest things I have ever done), and reading the entire The Story of Civilization (11 Volume Set)
My atavistic barbarian soul responds to, and prepares for, crisis with a mixture of the Boy Scouts ‘Be Prepared’ motto that drives me to re-skill, relearn, innovate, and challenge myself to continuous improvement as well as a deep rooted simmering rage that means that I garden whilst listening to Non-Point far more often than I do so listening to Blind Pilot. Much of my inner philosophy found harmony in the simple motto of Georges Hebert’s; that one must “Be Strong to be Useful”. To me, that means being Emotionally, Mentally, and Physically capable to handle to Challenges of My Age; to have the patience, love, wisdom, learning, health, and physical capability to accomplish what I must to ensure that my family and my community are given the best chance to handle this transition the best that we can. It is why I push so goddamn hard; why I blog and post so frequently, read incessantly, and train for and run Tough Mudders. I am driven by a Moral Imperative to do what I can …because I can. Anything less is not enough, and failure is not an option. But everyone’s path is not my own (I am not normal) and the Sustainability Stool has three legs – Economic, Social, and Ecological that must be solved for the large majority of society if we are to make this happen. There are many paths to Transition. There have to be. And I need your help with one of them.
My wife and life partner, Meriah, is an incredible woman. As I have discovered a passion for Sustainable Agriculture and Small Scale Appropriate Tech Solutions to Feeding and Powering our communities, she has discovered a deep seated love for improving the lives of hundreds through fitness. Through her LLC of Dancing Lotus Fitness, she has helped literally hundreds of women and men in our community gain confidence and inspiration by helping them see that movement is magnificent. The simple, revolutionary act of taking sedentary lives and adding movement through her offerings of Zumba Fitness, Hoop Dance, Yoga combined with life coaching and weight loss programs is literally changing the lives of a significant portion of our community.
Over the past 3 years we have watched Meriah’s students lose hundreds of pounds, and be inspired to gain confidence in themselves that they never thought they could have while improving their health and fitness. These are REGULAR people, from all walks of life; people who would never be caught dead in a Gold’s Gym or a traditional yoga class (‘I’m no pretzel woman!’) many who have been telling themselves for years that they can’t change who they are. But Meriah makes fitness accessible, inspiring, and more than anything fun. She has several families where literally 3 generations of women are dancing and becoming healthy together. OMG awesome and so very necessary as we re-learn how to be fit and begin the healing from 3 generations of corporate mis-marketing on what is healthy and what it ‘good’. Health Care is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in our society (wtf?!) and will be one of the first to go as we begin descent. Of course, the best ways to remain healthy are eating fresh, local foods, and in the simple act of moving more . Word is spreading about how inspiring and effective Meriah’s classes are- she is rapidly outgrowing her current rented space and the time has come to purchase a property, but in this age of Peak Credit, loans demand immense capital for small businesses to purchase start-up buildings. We have gathered our resources and found an ideal property in a repurposed Church building that offers enough space for the Group Fitness as well as a kitchen area in the basement where we can teach healthy, delicious cooking courses and an outdoor fenced area that we will plant to be a gorgeous meditation garden for her summer Yoga classes. But we simply do not have enough money to make it happen. We need your help.
Meriah has started a campaign on IdieGoGo to raise the funds that we need to purchase the property to allow her to continue to heal the minds, bodies, and spirits of our community. Meriah is doing Epic Shit. I am moved every time I go to her classes and see the transformation of her students; the freedom, the confidence, and the sheer joy that they experience in moving, dancing, and challenging their bodies. Every donation counts – $5 is fantastic. Indie Go Go lends significant marketing to those campaigns that are ‘hot’ –the more the campaign is shared, the more hits it gets, and especially the more donation it gets all increase its ‘go-go’ factor. Please donate if you are able, and also spread the word on your social networks.
Thank you.
Be the Change!
