By Ted Glick
“Day
11: Another day of no trees cut on the Holleran/Zeffer property! And
another day of good people gathering for a good cause! It started
snowing on us today and hasn't stopped yet, but the tree crews continued
to work in other areas. We had the pleasure today of meeting some other
landowners in the pipeline route who are not happy with the destruction
which the tree clearing and construction will bring to their property,
and who we hope to be able to support and defend in the future. Thanks
to everyone who braved the weather and safe travels to anyone brave
enough to join us tomorrow!” Megan Holleran
A
song has emerged out of the battle against the Constitution fracked gas
pipeline and the plans to destroy sugar maple trees on the land of the
Holleran/Zeffer family in New Milford, Pa. The words, so far (it’s a
song meant to keep being built) are:
One more day,
one more day,
let’s stop the chain saws
one more day. . .
Let’s stop the pipeline…
Let’s build the movement
One----more----day.
one more day,
let’s stop the chain saws
one more day. . .
Let’s stop the pipeline…
Let’s build the movement
One----more----day.
Walking
back yesterday from the newly-installed port-o-potty down along the
road, looking at the cars and trucks and tents and people up the hill
talking and eating and drinking, the thought came to me, “this is like a
great party where you’re constantly meeting and getting to know new
people.” And that is true. Each day for the last four days, three of
which I’ve been at, 30-35 people have come out to stand together in the
cold, around the fire which burns from sunup to sundown, with Megan and
her family. We’ve been there to support their heroic stand in defense of
their land, their home, their sugar maple trees and their maple syrup
business, all of which will be damaged if Williams Partners cuts those
trees down and, eventually, the two (!) gas pipelines which are planned
to be built behind their house on Three Lakes Rd. are built.
It’s
called Three Lakes Road for a good reason. The first time I drove 150
miles to join this great battle, we had to call Megan as we were a few
miles from the land to get directions. She told us, after we did our
best to describe where we were, to turn right and then count three lakes
on the right and look for a house on the left, an old barn and a
hearse. As we followed her instructions my partner Jerome Wagner asked,
“did she say hearse or horse?” It turned out it was hearse, a story I
haven’t gotten yet.
But I will. I plan to head back early Friday
morning, and I have figured things out so that I’m going to be able to
be there a lot. I’ll be there as much as I can until either March 31,
when time runs out for Williams as far as what tree-cutting they can do
right now, or until I’m arrested with other sisters and brothers
standing in the right of way, between the stakes with the pink plastic
streamers up the hill from where the daily “party” is happening.
There’s
a quote I came across many years ago that I have up on the wall of my
office. It’s by someone named Mihaly Crikszentmihalyi from a book,
“Flow, The Psychology of Optimal Experience,” which I’ve never read, but
I love the quote:
“The
best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to
its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and
worthwhile.”
Many
of us have been stretching ourselves for a while, for years, in the
difficult but supremely worthwhile effort to prevent climate catastrophe
and to bring into being a very different form and content of human
society than what we’ve inherited from our ancestors. For me, this
battle in New Milford, led by wonderful Megan and her family, is one of
the personal high points of the 12 years I’ve been about that work.
We can win this one; join us!
Ted Glick
No comments:
Post a Comment