Ten Years in Never-Never Land
by Kristen

Today is January 15, 2001, my 10 year anniversary as a Twin Oaks member. Ted and I arrived around 10 pm, 10 years ago, and I was given a cigarette-soaked room in Tupelo, between 2 women undergoing a nasty breakup.

As a member, I've helped to insulate and drywall Nashoba, done a lot of hammocks, been a meta to 3 year old Simone and Harper, been involved in dinner cooks, the dairy, the products office, and short stints in the stretcher shop and pillow shop. Now I also work in the tofu hut. I've also served on the CVP, the CB, the HTM, and now the CMT. By in large, I've enjoyed my work, and have appreciated Twin Oaks' flexibility, especially as a mother.
When I first came here, we'd just bought the Tofu business. We were just finishing Nashoba, and also had just bought the Monaccan Forest. Acorn Community did not exist. We could not do VE in the county, and we had an assigned and done labor system. Four people from my visitor period joined: me, Ted, Coyote, and Delancey. We're all still here, in some sense: Ted dropped his membership a year a half ago but didn't go very far and is currently planning to move back. Delancey took her life when Arlo was 2 weeks old, and is buried in the graveyard here. Coyote's still here and kicking, as you can all see for yourselves. Cassie has calculated the average Twin Oaks membership to be 9 years — every year it goes up by 1 and I keep being 1 year over the average (I remember when I passed it up, marking my transition from "new member" to "old member" and I expect someday to just be "old.")

Arlo was born to Ted and me during a heat wave of July, 1993, in the cool recesses of Degania. I had so much support during my pregnancy and birth, I felt truly blessed, especially as Arlo decided to be born 3 weeks earlier than I expected. Rowan was born considerately on time, in the wee hours of the first real day of spring in 1996, to Keenan and me.

My life here has been full, and I've not felt the lack of a TV, as I watch the daily soap opera of Twin Oakers' ups and downs. Occasionally I've felt myself pulled against my will into some political battle. Mostly I've chosen to lead a drama-free life. There have been notable exceptions, but for the most part, I've not been a "key player." This has probably been what's allowed me to stay so long and even thrive here.

Sometimes I've felt maybe I should live somewhere else, especially as I get older and my family matures. I'm not nearly as radical as I used to be, and I seem to be getting older and more "respectable." My reasons for staying at Twin Oaks haven't changed, but rather have become more complicated as my life becomes entwined with those around me. I feel more "native to this place," as Wes Jackson puts it. I care about our woods, and I've been a casual observer of the local bird population. I'm especially attached to the South Anna River, and hope to someday see otters there. Sometimes I feel I am closer to the river than I am to most people! I think that, although I enjoy the company of others, I'm not really a crowd person. Hence my habitual absence at parties.

I think I probably spend too much time thinking about what I don't like, rather than things I do like. This is a common failing I think (oops, doing it again). I often forget to appreciate the forest because I'm pissed off at a couple of trees. But given the chance, I have to say, Twin Oaks is truly an amazing place. It's physically beautiful, thanks to our many gardeners, horticulturists, and foresters; it tastes good, thanks to our incredible cooks; it sounds good, with all our music ringing out; and most of all, it feels good, as I'm sure to get a hug at the drop of a hat. Oh, and the fresh air here smells soo good!

So here's one big thank you to my home, my matrix, my milieu, and my dwelling place, Twin Oaks. With my love and appreciation, for 10 really good years, may more follow.

Love, Kristen
happy at Twin Oaks