11 August 2007 - Norwich, VT

A few days off in Vermont have left us rested (mentally) and exhausted (physically) and a little bit lost (emotionally). While temperatures soared back home in North Carolina (I think they topped out at 104 F), we bopped around the much cooler (highs in the low 80s!) Green Mountain state, hiking trails at Jamaica and Lincoln Peak, catching the Lake Champlain ferry from Charlotte to Essex, putting up screening posters in Middlebury and Vergennes, visiting organic farmers in Bethel, hanging out at our friend Marcia’s home in Sharon, and scoping out the varied nooks and crannies of this beautiful corner of the country.

Without a daily screening to keep us focused, we found ourselves a bit unmoored, having to make up our time as we went along, and not exactly sure what to do. Unsatisfied (and sometimes deeply disturbed) by most of what “the culture” has to offer by way of “things to do and see”, it’s not at all apparent how to be and where to go when we find ourselves in a new place. Our time in the woods and mountains has been the best, though our hikes have stressed our computer-shackled bodies, making plain the costs we have accrued over the past year in getting the documentary, and the screening tours, all put together.

Saturday afternoon we made our way East to the Norwich/White River Junction area, for our 6:30 PM screening at the public library there. Organized by Margo and Dennis, the screening went very well, with an audience of about 55 filling the basement room. Despite some glitch in the system that left a slight synching problem (one guy said he just pretended it was a Godzilla movie!), the audience was receptive and appreciative. The cookies and lemonade helped, fer sure fer sure…

Fourteen of us stayed afterwards for a circle dialogue, in which we spoke of many things, of despair and hope, of not knowing, and of being and doing in the face of it all. It was a moving experience, and we were so glad to be there, to be with these good people as they shared their thoughts and feelings about the present predicament. What a relief it is, to come together and speak openly and honestly about how it feels to be alive at this time.

We said our goodbyes and headed back to Sharon for a good night’s sleep, awaking this morning for a nice bit of “underfoot love” from Cat=Rufus. We’re now in a wireless wi-fi Panera Bread, catching up on the news of the world and slogging through our overstuffed inboxes. From here we have a few more days off before our screening in Burlington on Wednesday.

Back soon. Love to us all,

Tim