In an effort to provide more inclusive, safe and restorative spaces, Firefly created The Neighborhood, a quiet area with open tents called Sun Camp (for male identifying people), Moon Camp (female identifying people), Star Camp (LGBTQIA+ folks), and SuperNova Camp (for the PGM / BIPOC folks). Neighbors are welcome to float from camp to camp for tea, conversation, a nap or simply to decompress. Last year at Firefly, I was fortunate to run into three Neighborhood volunteers – Asher, RC and Scout – who gave me their passionate perspectives on the Neighborhood.
“The level of synchronicity and magic is off the charts here in The Neighborhood,” says Asher. “When somebody has a need, another person is right there to fill it. That happens on so many different levels. When somebody got locked out of their truck, within moments another person with the knowledge and tools had picked the lock and recovered the keys. I have seen incredible moments like that over and over again. I think we have that kind of capacity because people aren’t in a hurry here. There’s no big agenda. People are just present with a lot of empathy. We are quantumly entangled and whenever somebody feels a subconscious or conscious need or urge, they intersect with someone who matches that need. It’s a safe place, like all of Firefly, but here people are especially looking out for each other, sharing encouragement and stories and so much more.”
“All of Firefly is a healthy, communal space,” says RC, “but The Neighborhood is especially restful. It’s like the perfect neighborhood in your home town; a kind of cul-de-sac surrounded by beautiful trees. It has a community neighborhood feeling. We have open tent spaces with cozy cushions and pillows and chairs. We all connect with each other like neighbors.”
“The fan here at Star Camp is like a magnet when the temperatures get hot,” RC continues. “The other day we had a lovely spa day. It began with a number of us lying in front of the fan, some just resting and others going into a deep sleep. We had people of all ages, even young parents with babies. Then they woke up and said, ‘Oh. We need to get to class now.’ But a lot of people stayed and a time of play began, which included both adults and children. Soon we were giving each other facial massages. It felt really meaningful to have this place for personal care. During that facial time, I connected with someone who was beginning an educational and career path that I had taken. It was really special to be able to connect with each other on so many different levels.”
“The Neighborhood is a place of caregiving,” says RC. “Each tent has different vibes and perspectives. And it’s a fun place! That’s a huge part of what goes on here. When you are a child, your neighborhood is your primary place of play. We do a lot of playing here. We had a wonderful immersive drag experience last night at the Block Party. We were playing dress up! This was my favorite Block Party ever with lots of music and great food and people spilling out of all the tents.”
“I was moved to tears by this Block Party,” says Scout. “First, because of the large number of people from different backgrounds sharing the medicine of their unique culture with everyone in a way that did not involve wrongful appropriation. They could share things like traditional Indian dancing and baladi [Arabic dancing] appropriately, without exploitative intent, without divorcing these things from their historic and cultural roots. We just honored people and their traditions —including the Palestinian flag and amazing Palestinian food — in ways that were quite the opposite of appropriation. And everyone could share in the medicine.”
“One of our purposes here in The Neighborhood includes giving voice to people who historically have been drowned out in larger global conversations,” says Scout; “but it’s even more than that. It means giving a safe place for sharing of ourselves in authentic and innocent ways. Like RC said, The Neighborhood is a safe cul-de-sac where the neighbors can play together. That’s a beautiful way to put it. There are ways of approaching other cultures that are selfish and other ways that are not selfish at all, but celebratory. That’s the difference between extraction and reciprocity.”
“I spend most of my time at Moon Camp,” Scout continues, “where we have had conversations about what it means to embody the feminine. That means different things to different people and there is no one right answer. I have flitted about different camps and I love how each one is unique. Star Camp had a clothing swap and I really like the invitation to play with clothing in a way that is non-gendered, meaning you can wear whatever you want. To me, Star Camp feels like an invitation to dive deeper into authenticity, whereas Moon Camp feels like an invitation to deep rest and nurture your intuition. Sun Camp has been having a lot of intellectual-based conversations. I heard some folks talking about military history over there and really getting into it. Super Nova is also a space for deep rest. And they have serious conversations about what it means to be PGM (People of the Global Majority). I have spent time in all of the camps and I’ve noticed that each one is super unique and that is a part of what makes this little cul-de-sac so alchemical … so nurturing and inclusive. Yeah. It’s alchemical here.”
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Make time to visit The Neighborhood while you’re at Firefly, and get connected.
Written by James, author, ghost-writer, suburban farmer, musician (www.peacedudejames.com) and Firefly worktrader.
