A Winter Tale

Living in a four-season climate has shaped my life.  Choosing to live within this cycle of seasonality, builds an expectation for change that wouldn't be present in a more temperate or tropical climate where there is year-round growth and greenery.

I expect things to die - or at least go dormant.  I respect birds choosing to leave for warmer places, knowing that they will return.  I am ok with having shorter days, quieter weeks, and spells of hunkering down for periods of inactivity.  And I know that the built-in longing for spring drives a sense of hope and desire that can pull me through dark times.

I watch trees willingly give up their energy and life producing leaves in order to rest and wait out the cold.   I witness plants disappearing into the ground, storing themselves and their life force in their roots, tubers, and forbs.  I marvel at animals' strategies for survival in the harshest of conditions.  All of these inspire me to be strategic, creative, and assured that I can endure.

It was my original goal to create a green path for my business.  It would not only be the composting, recycling, renewable energy, small footprint kind of path, but a way of using nature's lessons and wisdom to find sustainable ways to be a business.

And so, over these past 20 years, I've kept my feet on the ground, trying to stay grounded, and to try to pay attention to the world at work around me.  And at the invitation of the Lyndale Neighborhood Association back in 2010, I've tried to formulate these learnings in some way each month and share them with you.   It's been my joy to reflect on what I'm learning alongside and amongst the daily activities of serving coffee, bakery items, breakfast and lunch.   

That I have grown, I am certain.  That I have been successful on this path, well, not so certain.

These past couple months, since my announcement to retire, have included many acknowledgments of success and accomplishments.  And yet. I keep thinking, and yet.

Nature has struggled to remain "natural" against human tendencies of exploitation and greed and power.  We have witnessed extinctions and species endangerment. We can point to degradation and destruction.  We understand that it is necessary for us to create laws and regulations to protect nature against us, and we're currently experiencing a time where these protections are being removed, at nature's peril.  

Being in "business for good," trying to walk a green path, or have a more ethical high-road approach to running a business has always felt a bit counter-cultural. It's a model that goes against capitalist structures that favor the rich and powerful, the bankers and financiers, the well-connected and the political insiders.   I've often felt like a lonely voice in the places where I have tried to speak truth to power.  But, I know I'm not alone.  You have been there with me, in front leading me on, and behind as well, pushing me forward.

And yet.

We tried to create a no-tipping culture, that still is an outlier, and the financial model behind it keeps coming up short.  The earth is not restored.  Family farms still struggle to survive. We are still divided and disconnected in so many ways.   I end this twenty-year business journey with pandemic-era debt and lot of tasks still on my to-do lists.   I'd like to just crawl under the soil and wait out the winter, saving up my energy for another spring when all seems possible again.

This isn't actually the way I thought it would end, however it is indeed where the journey has ended up.

But yes, I do trust that new life is ahead.  I do believe I have more opportunities to learn and grow.  I do get excited for what's next and what's possible.   I have witnessed the green shoots emerging from brown ground enough times to lean on what I know and have learned. Life goes on. 

So, as I say so long, I will continue to remain generous, seek connections, and stay committed to caring for our dear planet.  I will continue to walk this green path, and I do hope I'll encounter you along the way.

Dan