For the inaugural Ground Blessing, more than 125 people gathered.  Many of the participants spoke, as part of the Native American ceremony offerings of words and wishes.  We acknowledged the land stewardship passed on from ancient times, and welcomed the many members of the Bell family who grew up related to this land, and the many other town families present, who have stewarded the surrounding lands in more recent times.  Adair’s speech below is but a small sample of the sentiments shared.

Ground Breaking at Bell Rd     4 / 1 2 / 2 0 0 8

   Today’s ceremony is about the new location for our business, a celebration of this land, of Middlefield, and our connection to it.

   We intend to treat people as family —with the same respect one gives this beautiful land and the past ancestors.

   We intend for this building to enhance people’s daily lives.

   We intend to bring new resources and opportunities into the community.

   We intend to provide a place for all of us to come together and help each other work towards a more fulfilling life.

Marin once tried writing a Town Master Plan.  It quickly got too wordy, and lifeless, and full of acronyms.  The bare bones worth salvaging from that were these thoughts:

As we make the journey through life, we learn from our past and we shape our future; we make connections of the heart to the people surrounding us, the place we live, and the things that call to our spirit.  From this statement, the many, many goals springing from this 5-petaled flower of life were organized into: Educating, Next Generation; Community, Land Stewardship, and Sacred Spirit. 

Educating ourselves and others is a life-long learning process that involves continuing expansion of mind and skill; both the roles of mentor and student; both academic research and practical world application. And it belongs in the lives of people of all ages.  ...To focus the efforts of sharing our wisdom, and increasing it, part of the future Marin intends to shape is an Experimenters School.  This is a mentoring network to support connecting what's been learned previously (by anyone) with what others need for the skills and knowledge to shape their future and manifest their dreams. 

The fate of the next generation was a frequently raised issue during surveying for town opinion on important planning topics to address.  As rural life has gotten too expensive for young adults, and livelihood opportunities too few, kids who grew up here leave, and make their contributions to the world elsewhere.  To stem the bleeding-away of our youth, there needed to be job creation, affordable housing, and child-care support.  ...In another way, 'Next Generation' means more than the effort it takes for the village to raise a child.  It also stands for all the ways we plan to endow the future with our best, and free it from our worst.  It involves developing new habits and designs for the next generation of lifestyle we all lead --designs for living lighter on Earth. 

Community is what we are; and what we create, and what we share together.  It is the network of relationships that is extended family, village, tribe.  It is the companionship of people with shared interests and values, who work together or stay in contact to further some greater whole.  [more… Community.]

We honor the spirit in the land, and in people.  We value being life affirming, open to diversity, and working well with others.  We encourage good communications, and nurturing aspirations.  We count responsibility for both the actions taken and those neglected, and the energetic quality imparted by both.  We keep these reference points to guide our choices: Sustainability … Health … Beauty … Joy … Increasing options and opportunity … Freedom … Energy Independence … Building Local Economy … Supporting Community … Designing a ‘Greener’ Future … Expanding Knowledge, Skill, & Capacity.