December’s Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Newsletter: The Place
Happy Solstice!
As we head towards the end of another year, one that was filled with the usual chaotic mix of pain and hardship, but also of joy and discovery, we must always remember to take a moment to remember the power and comfort that a supportive community can provide; one filled with friends, family, and loved ones that, each in their own way, gives us the hope, solace, and strength to continue.
This time of year brings so many poignant memories, powerful emotions and for most of us, the opportunity to pause and reflect, to take a moment, in the quiet of winter, to think about our lives, where we are, where we’ve been - to remind ourselves of our place in the world.
Image Description: A gas lantern is lit up, glowing a warm orange and gold. The rest of the image and space surrounding the lantern is black.
Place is such a powerful word. What is place? What is “a” place? When is a place a place? How does that change happen? Place can be defined in many ways; a vacancy, an available position, or someone's status. Place can be geographic; it's a location, a position, an indication. It has both a sense of permanence and of transience. Today more than ever, we must also ask ourselves, whose place is it, as we consistently find ourselves occupying multiple places.
To us, as a young organization embarking on our project, I know that place needs to be an ever-present principal we must remember, defined as “our position in a sequence” - another definition of place - that we have been given an opportunity, it is our turn, to help to continue telling this story.
Like the heart of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue story itself, to date our early organizational efforts have only been successful due to the hard work, encouragement, passion, and assistance from a much larger community.
Our burgeoning relationships with new friends and partners, stakeholders and other storytellers have given us a sense of place, our place, in a community that we as an organization are just beginning to build and surround ourselves with. A community that can provide strength and support; a community that we can share and build a place with, for future stories, questions, discussions, and discoveries. A community without which, we probably would not succeed.
So, tonight, go out and look up. Ponder your place amongst the community of crystalline winter stars, of stories past and of stories yet to come, stories big and small, and your place in all of it.
To all of our friends and family, new or established, The Oberlin Wellington Rescue Theater Project thanks you all. With deepest gratitude and optimism for the new year, Happy Holidays!
-Eric Steggall, Producing Managing Director