In Between Times
“Where is home?”, I ask myself. My conditioned mind’s cliched answer says
[editor: actually it is your wife Tink who says] “Home is where the heart is,
honey.” And yet my mind can’t help but look back to what was, and toward what
will be, leaving my heart to feel a bit confused and aching about how to be in the
present. Yes, yes, I know about (and practice) mindfulness and I try to “Be Here
Now”, all as my impetuous inner child part wants what I know will come to Be.
Here. Now!! Ugh!
I softly and compassionately tell my tender inner child part that it will be here
before I know it. I settle in, and become familiar with all that living in a city has to
offer, and try to feel grateful for my little balcony overlooking the offices of Google
(where I imagine AI training and self-driving car scheming and advertising
potentials are being hatched and developed.) More often I walk the short
distance to my favorite coffee shop (Margaux), and in the other direction to the
Northeast entrance of Frick Park.
The hills, open country roads, and our old home & gardens of Western
Massachusetts,
have been replaced by my current urban landscape (and lovely cafes and
spacious parks) of Pittsburgh,
with an eye toward the wooded area of our CoHousing EcoVillage in McCandless.
I’m looking forward to being together living with you all; and in the meanwhile I’ll continue to try to stay present in the In Between.
– Chris Van Camp, Founding Member & future resident of RCE, February 21, 2024