PETERSHAM – From community agriculture to increased carpooling, residents put forth many different ideas at a visioning session to discuss the community’s future.

At the meeting, held on Sunday, April 23, some two-dozen people took the time to envision what the future of their town and the region might look like were it a ‘heart centered community.’ Organizers asked their fellow residents to determine what they want for themselves and each other.

“We might very well realize that everything I want for myself – the society to be – I also want for everyone else,” said John Root, one of the organizers. “I want everybody to have what I want. Well, what do I want? “The first thing I want is to be free to do all those things that I feel called to do…that I’m not doing for myself that bring me joy.”

Root said cooperation and collaboration are necessary in order to create and provide all the things that everybody needs in order to live—freedom, justice, community or collaboration.

“My goal for the future is that we take care of five things: proper schools, we have proper energy, we have proper shelter, and we have transportation and we have community,” said organizer Larry Buell. “To me, community is where it all happens. If we can put things together under JEDI – not from Star Wars – justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, that’s the JEDI I envision for the town.”

Organizer and indigenous American Brother Northstar added, “Abundance is our birthright. Clean air is our birthright. This land, the earth, is our birthright. And you are our birthright. We’ve been disconnected from the land. We’ve been disconnected from the universe. And we’ve been disconnected from each other. We want to bring that oneness back and it starts with the people; the people start to see themselves as one organism.”

Following the introductions, the gathering split up into three groups to imagine and discuss the hopes of all of the individuals involved. On Monday, organizer Rose Stanley told the Athol Daily News that conversations were lively, and the report shows that many had the same idea.

“I think every single group had on its list ‘feed Petersham,’” said Stanley. “Food security was a big one. Housing was another one that showed up a couple of times. How we related to one another also showed up; you know, treating each other with respect – honoring each other, finding commonality between us. But number one was laughter and joy.”

Stanley added that a handful of attendees agreed to join the original organizers in planning the next meeting. She said several planning sessions will take place before the next full meeting, which will happen in a couple of months.

“I think the challenge for all of is to think outside the box; not do little things but do bigger things,” said Stanley. “Transportation came up, energy. Some people said, ‘Well, why don’t we do like a share-a-ride.’ We could do that, but in my humble opinion, that’s not thinking big enough.”

As for feeding Petersham, Stanley said the idea of setting up a Community Supported Agriculture program was floated.

“We have plenty of land in Petersham. Maybe we could do something like that,” she said. “Those are the kinds of ideas we’re looking for.”

Participants in Sunday’s meeting, said Stanley, brought up the need to care for the elderly and the young. The young people, she explained, have the energy while the elders have the wisdom. Asked if she was pleased with Sunday’s meeting – both the discussion and the outcome – Stanly answered in the affirmative.

“It proved to me that there are people who are interested in making a change, in creating something new,” she said. “We are not the much different from one another in terms of what our ideal society is. Now it’s just time to put in the work.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.

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