The following article appeared in the Summer 1999 edition of the 1000 Days, the Journal of the Aurora Now Foundation . When we arrived here in Tucson, I felt what can only be described as a strange sense of energy from the land. I have enjoyed every moment I find myself out of doors here. I find my eyes glued to the canyons and peaks and rock formations of the Santa Catalinas whenever I drive along the range towards town. Our yard is beautiful, with yuccas and palms, cholla and prickly pear cactus.
Lizards scurry about, and rabbits play in the coolness of the dawn and the sunsets.
Lawns are gravel and sand and spotted with cacti, paloverde and mesquite. Here, it will be easy to focus on the children. To teach them to retain their inherent wisdom. To help them remind their parents that it is the joy of the game that counts. To help them learn how to build communities which honor the land that sustains them.