Farming Hope and Vegetables...an +MPU Orlando Saturday

Shuffling out of the door on this rather crisp November morning revealed a special sort of magic was in the air. It was a day where the Sun itself was smiling in mutual appreciation of its gift unto our planet, and the myriad responses of our global ecosystem and human machinery to capture its shared life and use it to create anew. In a day and time where we often get carried away with more photo opportunities than photosynthesis, this day represented something quite different. It was a day that needed no filters (see: Cover Photo).

When we arrived at our Fleet Farming assigned location to begin our day of +More Perfect Union #Service, we introduced ourselves to the team and quickly began to join in a deep enthusiasm of appreciating the beauty of the morning. Again, this is one of those magical days in an area of Florida that typically faces air thick enough for catfish to walk on land that wasn't oppressively hot...OR humid. It was perfect, and it set the tone not only for meaningful work in the physical gardens we were preparing to cultivate but also within the meaningful conversations we were preparing to have in order to cultivate more hope in our common union.

As we got on hands and knees to pull weeds from within the turnip and radish beds, I could not help but notice the significant buzz of the several conversations occurring within the garden. There was a playful and spritely spirit abuzz in these back and forths. In between the new-age get to know you jabs of "Where do you work?"...and "Are you 'from' here/there?"...a few deep combinations started to emerge and hit their mark: "What are we going to do about the cost of education?!" That was just the start...

Orlando is such a beautiful city. It is home to such an amazing spirit of imagination and hope. It is a city with brick roads that are sure to remind you of an earlier era, crown by crown if necessary. It is also a most progressive city, actively engaging in social, environmental, and educational outreach AND action. Sure, there is also cynicism, anxiety, frustration and sorrow. It possesses and expresses the entire range of human emotions simply because it is made up of US. The truth is, that is our strength...one another.

That day in November as I was fortunate enough to share space in these gardens with my fellow humans from Orlando, I felt as if together we were weeding out anything that could inhibit hope from carrying this morning. Conversations about going off to college, being in college while working full time AND preparing for a first child (Congratulations Wilton on his beautiful son Xavier!), and what it would be like to actually feel...heard.

Looking back now on that morning and day of service, I realize that my own glasses might be rosier than others would allow their own to be. This has been a particular tint of shades that I quite fancy, but as I said at the start, this was a day that needed no filters. Wrapping this entirely too-long post up in a bow isn't easy. Weeding gardens and listening to a variety of perspectives on way too many topics was.

The Sun that day seemed so big and bright that it might stay up late into the night. Who knows if that's why everyone shared so much that day. Ultimately, when we went our separate ways, it seemed as though we'd all been complicit in our agreement to try and manifest more of these mornings.

That day together taught me that there might be so many more people out there that share our +More Perfect Union values...so make a decision. We choose #hope.

OUR VALUES

Service: Sacrifice is the greatest expression of Patriotism. We are driven to serve our country, our communities and our neighbors. Our leaders must engage as servant leaders and recognize their duty to support Americans.

Virtue: Americans must aspire to do the right thing. Representative democracy can only work with virtuous people and we expect the same from our leaders.

Mercy: We treat our fellow Americans with compassion and believe the best in each other…most importantly when we disagree.

Humility: While we are strong in our convictions, we recognize that we have much to learn from each other. We approach our lives with open minds and open hearts.

Courage: We have the courage to stand up for our principles, especially when doing so is unpopular or inconvenient.

Hope: We have and will continue to face hardship and adversity as a nation. In these moments “we will choose hope over fear. We see the future not as something out of our control, but as something we can shape for the better.”