INVENTING THE PERFECT TRIBE

HERE'S A PICTURE OF IT:

This is a few of us whiling away the summer in the cool forest near Flagstaff, AZ.
Of course there's nothing perfect about us EXCEPT THAT WE ARE FOREVER TWEAKING OUR CULTURE TO MAKE IT BETTER.
Here are my thoughts on the subject:
1.Finding a set of friends that you like and who like you is more important than getting rich or famous.
2. We currently have about 55 people in our "tribe" that we have named MUSIC AND MIND CAMP.
3. People come and go as they wish--in our travels we have numbered as high as 50 and as few as 5.
4. Starting with NO rules and NO pattern, we decided to let all this take shape naturally out of our collective experience and agreement.
5. Rather quickly we agreed on a beginning "culture" and to flesh it out with suggestions that are tried and eventually establish themselves as agreements--OR NOT.
6.  It's great fun to grow a brand new culture out of ourselves. Later I will reveal some ideas that made their way to agreements.
7. We decide where to go next--splits are welcome and encouraged. Feel free to go or come with whomever will go with you.  We are pleased when anyone uses any of our pattern of association.
8. I am constantly astonished at our collective wisdom and power.
9. Our meetings at 10am are voluntary and various people facilitate. (whoever has a knack for it)
.  We have published authors and a retired philosophy professor in the group.
10.  We have evolved a system for resolving tensions.  It works beautifully.
11.  We encourage everyone to do what they really want to do.
12.  We are experimenting with the notion that friendships grow deep and strong when we practice knowing and being known by our friends.  We have fun ways to do this.
13.  I could go on and on but we are conscious of not boring others.  I will give you one more practice we have evolved:  When you are annoyed with what is going on you can signal your discontent by simply standing. (several standing people work magic)
If this sounds like your cup of tea--come have tea with us.  People in this lifestyle  have three primary challenges--TO GET MOBILE---TO GET COMFORTABLE---We are working on the advanced challenge: TO GET HAPPILY CONNECTED.

And speaking of happy:

This is CB, one of our founders recreating the exact moment 9 years ago when he started his engine to begin his travels.

Friends gather to help celebrate the occasion.

 One of these is a guy.

We parked for 2 wks  in a meadow with cows.

One day we met a celebrity walker. On this trip he walked 1500 miles and said he was invited on the Ellen Degeneris show.

  Our philosopher wrote this---now used as a textbook.

Need I say more?  I feel blessed.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: Thank you to those who told me you missed me.  I've had computer troubles.  It's been a wonderful summer in and around Flagstaff.