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Frozen
River Film Festival |
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What one
person a can do with two hours. |
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The
photo illustration above was created with items collected at the vendor/visitor
booths. One Saturday. One woman. Two
hours of free time in The
volunteers assisted perfectly when I walked in and confessed little knowledge
of the festival, having just learned about it from Julie at Bluff Country
Coop moments ago. The warm, educational and inviting atmosphere hit me
immediately upon entry. I suppose college campuses do that to me no matter
what the event but, none-the-less, there was a thick sense of goodness just
crossing the threshold. At
my left, I spied the Bluff Country stand, a reminder of my recent
incredibly-delicious lunch at their store. Continuing on, was an I
spent quite awhile talking with a really interesting young fellow who called
himself Froseph. He sat at a non-political movement information table. When I
asked Froseph to tell me what he was all about, he ultimately tells me that
he seeks peaceful co-existence with his fellow man, coupled with a passionate
disagreement for policies that don’t work. I purchased 3 second-hand garments
from Froseph, screen-printed with environmental impact statements. Later, I
Googled Froseph and see that he is a MySpacer. A
wonderful woman at the ticket table pointed me in the direction of Organic Valley
Chef, Monique Janet Hooker. She prepared a winter meal while I watched on
from the last tier of a classroom seating row. I was relaxed, entertained and
lulled by the warm and fragrant smells of leeks, carrots and sweet potatoes
from the front of the room. So often, my yearning to “save the world” leads
me farther away from enjoying that same world. Monique quieted my tired brain
and reminded me to take time to smell the roses – and the vegetables! One of greenfete’s missions
in 2008 is to expand our involvement in activities that induce us to think
deeply and meaningfully about the world in which we live. As a side effect to
increased presence and festivals and workshops, we also hope to enjoy less
house-cleaning during free time! A
possible regret would be that I had to leave early to make another
appointment, so I missed out on the opportunity to view to the film: Dalai Lama – Renaissance
presented by Khashyar Darvich, David Mueller and Lama Yeshe. Next year I will
spend an entire day, if not two, at the festival to take in as many offerings
I can. The
low-cost tickets for the immense-quality sessions made this gathering
accessible to all. On occasion, I witness “green movement” events sporting
airs of elitism that scare away the average Joe. Not so here. I commend the
event organizers for making this 4-day long festival a place for all.
Culturally-aware. Buy-local evident. Activism avenues. Educationally
extraordinary! A+. |
