May 30, 2009

Why can't I get paid for doing what I love?

Right now I'm working on a few projects which keep me super busy and I enjoy them all (even if some of them are incredibly frustrating sometimes), yet for all this work I am only being compensated with satisfaction and learning. That's great until you think about the fact that we live in a capitalistic society where things like food and rent cost money. Something I'm not getting out of these projects.

One of my projects is working on setting up a Network of Intentional Communities in Chicago. This is something I've wanted to for a long time and earlier this spring I was presented with the opportunity to work on this. My friend John organized a get-together of people interested in community and it was attended by over 50 people. As a part of this people expressed an interest in continuing to get together. Bam. Opportunity presented. I love the idea of people connecting and building community. These people are already trying to do it within their homes and now this allows them to reach broader.

I am also in the process of setting up my own intentional community. We're searching for a space now and it's really exciting. I can't wait to live with people who share similar values as myself. Hopefully we'll have a house and so be able to work on projects such as gardening. I long to have some one to come home to and to care about how my day went and for me to care about theirs. I also forsee us working on various projects together and I'm super excited about this.

Finally, my biggest project is interning at Uncommon Ground on their rooftop farm. I am working on education and outreach around the farming and I love it! I am learning a ton about farming and hopefully teaching others too. I think we are soon going to experience a major crisis in our food system (though you could also argue we already are). People need to be educated about healthy food and alternatives to today's industrial farm system. That is exactly what we're doing at Uncommon Ground.

If only I could convince someone to pay me to do all of this so I could afford to eat.

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