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The first certified organic farm on a rooftop is on top of Uncommon Grounds restaurant in Chicago. Check out how they do things.
We were clean and clear and calm and free splashing in that warm water and there was nothing more to hope for other than maybe some chicken and pineapple sandwiches for lunch after drying off, and a sunburn that didn’t hurt too much when the cool water from the shower that night landed on our rosy shoulders.
Stefan, Nick and Matt share some writing with us.
I am the bridge between heaven and Earth.
Then, there is no bridge and there is no I,
There is only Heaven and Earth.
This is the second post featuring the inspired work of teenagers. This time Matt Bianco-Splann and Christopher Waddell share some of their artwork.
This is the first in a series of posts from teenagers that attended Omega Teen Camp. You can find the introduction to the series here. The first piece is a beautifully insightful essay on education, politics, and love by Stefan Trilling, a high school senior from Rocky Point, NY. He writes:
We learn a lot. We learn an enormous amount about science, math, English and social studies. We also learn discipline, respect, patience, and the rewards of listening and hard work. But what does all of that mean without teachings of love, kindness, hope, and passion?
I recently asked some of last year’s teenagers from Omega Teen Camp if they wanted to submit some things to Be Peace. So many responded that we’re going to post an ongoing series of teenage art and writing. My feeling is that having a younger generation participate in this type of sharing and exploring can only be a good thing.
I was in a used book store in Manhattan last month and stumbled upon a small book from the 1960s about Hiroshige, one of the last great Japanese ukiyo-e, or woodblock painters. It wasn’t that I instantly recognized any of the paintings inside the book, but more that they seemed familiar to me in a different way.
Thich Nhat Hanh is beyond inspirational; I dont think that’s quite the right word for him. Maybe I would describe him as “profoundly eloquent”, but that doesnt even seem to describe his impact accurately, either. He simply radiates peacefulness.
I’ll let Randal’s art speak for itself.
Alan Watts was a philosopher, speaker, religious scholar and author who helped to popularize Eastern philosophy in the West in the 1960s. He was a bit controversial, very well-spoken, and “blew a lot of minds” in the acid-soaked 60s counter-culture. He became a sort of Pop-Culture Authority on topics like Zen Buddhism, spirituality, and attaining higher consciousness.
Check back often for more writing, art, and music.