"Something there is that doesn't love a wall," said Robert Frost, wisely. Early in the year, when September 11 was still vivid, a spunky 1200-pound cow jumped the 6-foot fence at a slaughterhouse and spent over 2 weeks on the lamb, so to speak, in a densely wooded park. Her hi-jinx captured our imagination - we loved her slipping out of the grip of "the man." Later in the year Gaak, (named for a Klingon in Star Trek), a new breed of "living robots" programmed to think for themselves, made a dash for freedom. He'd gotten out of the building, across the parking lot, and was headed for the open road when his light sensor got confused by dappled sunlight under a tree. He was dithering around in circles when apprehended and returned.
Why is "let me out of here!" such an early expression of self awareness? We want freedom, but do we know
It's time to reclaim freedom, to place it in a new context Vicki calls "connected freedom," or relational freedom, interdependence. The intoxication of escape can lead us to dithering, like Gaak, in a multiplicity of options. Understanding what freedom
We'll use a new form of communication that promotes deep listening, critical thinking, insight, and appreciation of self and others. Vicki will share her own exploration, and guide us in our own choices, based on our own experiences. We will explore the history of freedom - from Socrates to cyborgs. We'll hear stories of remarkably free people.
The most powerful part of this workshop will be what arises within you as you listen, talk, and engage together in free and playful inquiry. A gradual grassroots shift in the tenor of our culture can evolve as we free ourselves of the unnecessary; strengthen human bonds; generate tender and protective caring for the earth; and release our quirky capacities for humor, art, innovation, and love. You can be free, and everyone can be free - within those limits that make life better and make sense to Life itself.
Vicki Robin's favorite things are writing, concocting ways to make sustainability alluring, having great conversations with her friends, walking, and engaging in adventures (both inner and outer) - all virtually free. She has been exploring freedom her whole life. She gave up a successful but stressful career and became financially self-sufficient in 1970, living off her investment income. She saves a little each year, which she invests, and now has an income of around $12,000 a year. She owns her 3,200-square-foot home with three other people, which gives her a small personal space and a large shared space. With Joe Dominguez she wrote Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Achieving Financial Independence, which has sold more than a million copies in nine languages (most recently Chinese). All proceeds from her work are donated to projects dedicated to transforming the processes and principles that govern our lives. She helped found Sustainable Seattle, the New Road Map Foundation (www.newroadmap.org), and the Center for a New American Dream - organizations that promote the necessity and pleasures of lowering consumption. She is Chair of The Simplicity Forum and Founder of Conversation Cafes, and is writing a new book called The Art of Freedom. We are honored to welcome her back to Rowe.
"I am a person committed to enjoying my life. I'm not depriving myself one iota. I just understand that beyond a certain set of basic needs, most of the things that are important to me have nothing to do with buying stuff. They say `The best things in life are free.' And I say, `The best thing in life is being free.'"
- Vicki Robin