Glimpse of the Future

While I was in Clemson, I made a pilgrimage to see my friend Ellen in Six Mile.  What drove me there was curiosity.  Ellen has just undergone a life transition from successful artist ( her art quilts are in private and corporate collections everywhere) and married woman, to single and learning how to organize and run a non-profit devoted to the intersection or creativity, economy, and sustainability.  You can read more about her organization, the Rensing Center here.  

She has just moved into a new house, designed for one, as green and sustainable as possible.  I love it - every square inch holds beauty.  The dishes are all handmade. Some of the interior walls are recycled roof tin. Every detail is fresh and thoughtful.  Her porch looks out over a cow pasture.  She tells me that nearby Greenville is booming.  Free plays in the park, galleries and restaurants, a thriving farmer’s market.  

We roam the property, meeting the Rensing Center pig,  inspecting the guest houses that will host artists in residence, and finally stopping to see Ellen’s mom at her house. Her depression era survival skills (she is 93), are the inspiration for the center’s mission.  She was also a good friend of my mother’s.  I haven’t heard anyone talk about missing my mom for a while.  It brings her back to me from a fresh angle - I can hear her laugh, catch a glimpse of her dimple.  

I am surprised that Ellen has made a life here.  When she arrived in Clemson, a few years before I left, I couldn’t have imagined it.  She had a degree in costume design from Syracuse University, and had just returned with her husband from two years in Hamburg.  We bonded over Germany,  our love of fabric, and our liberal politics.  Now we talk about marketing, how to make a living selling art, how to navigate our shifts in life direction.  

When I  have to leave, we are not even close to finished with out conversation.  The last thing Ellen says to me as I back out of her driveway is: “Keep asking yourself what you care about. The rest will follow.”  I am grateful for the reminder.  I am asking myself every day.