Photo via Concept Trends
One last post about Taos.A friend suggested I look out for "Intentional Communities" (after Waco communes sought a new name) as we travel for free places to camp in exchange for a music concert by the boys. I scoped out the Taos area and the only one was the Earthship Community. I emailed and called and called and finally got someone on the phone to arrange a small corner of land to park our trailer for a couple nights, check out the community, and play a little music. A recap of my conversation with the Earthship representative after I made my proposal of music for a place to park:
"Um yeah, we don't really do that but you can stay in one of the Earthships for $230 a night"
"Oh well, we haven't much money to spend on housing while we make our documentary. Is it possible to just camp for a night on a small square of land?"
"Uh yeah, well...yeah, we don't really do that either but there's a camp ground down the road for about $20 a night."
By that time I was like, "Woman! You're entirely missing the point here!" But I let it go.
Photo via Treehugger
So while we were staying with the boys' parents rented Garbage Warrior, a documentary about the Earthship Community and Micheal Reynolds, the visionary architect behind it all. It was a really good film and the people behind the community looked awesome-my kind of people. Plus, all the aid work they do for countries hit by natural disasters is amazing! They're doing a bunch of work in Haiti right now.While in Taos, I dragged everyone up there to scope it out and at least go to the visitor center...haha, no such luck. They charge $5 to just walk through the model home and are kind of uptight in general. The sane people that we hung out with in Taos (aka: the potters) were all of the opinion that the Earthship people are "chappy-asses". So it's a total shame because I really love what they're doing but geez, I wonder why they're so uptight.
So, your documentary is shaping up to be less about indigenous music in America's "heartland" but more about the death of the idealism of American liberal democracy, or how I learned to stop trying to change the world and give in to capitalism?
ReplyDeleteHaha, maybe...the whole Earthship thing was really disheartening...well, more like New Mexico was entirely disheartening.
ReplyDeleteIts too bad...such a vision when it was founded. I hope things are looking up for you!
ReplyDeleteSo interesting to come across this blog and all these Taos posts. I randomly came by it while googling Seco Pearl...as today is their last day in business.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who lived there for a long time (currently living in Washington DC), I can tell you...first and foremost, the Greater World is not an intentional community. It's basically a subdivision where people build earthships. The intentional community that you're looking for is the Lama Foundation. http://lamafoundation.org/ This is one of the few surviving, and successful, communes...and just happens to be the place where Ram Dass wrote Be Here Now.
Also...as for the 'sane' people...I can tell you straight up that Scott the potter is one of the most shady backstabbing individuals I've ever known in my life. Seriously.
In other news - sorry you didn't get to meet some of the really excellent folks doing amazing things in Taos. It's a special place, and if you're from there or have been there a long time, you'd know that....visitors usually only see it's facade, but the soul of Taos runs very deep.
Haha, oh no! Not Scott! It's a shame that once you get under the Scott facade he's a shady character.
ReplyDeleteYou know, after traveling for a year I've come to know that yes, you definitely only get to know one side of an area; and yes, how you feel about a place is in direct correlation to how you are feeling at that time. Taos was kind of a bummer on multiple fronts...the monsoon weather of early summer, the unorganized manner of our project, and the fact that by the time we actually got done with restoring our car we had all lost our initial excitement and motivation.
Thanks for the suggestion of the Lama Foundation. We are currently in southern Colorado for the summer and after your comment, maybe we will go back down and give it another go.
Washington DC...I was told about their Go-Go Clubs. Have you ever been to one? I would love to know what you think about them.