BEING AT THE CENTER OF LIFE
By Peter and Esther Fisher
Ours is a profound
love story. We discovered each other at a week long “Living Love”
workshop conducted by Ken Keyes and his staff in St. Mary Kentucky in
the summer of 1978. Recently we saw a movie called “Note Book”
that captured the love story of folks when they were younger and then
older– like us. Right now in 2004, Esther is about 65 and Peter
is about 66. It was our story! We are an example that one times one equals
one – a whole person. For twenty-five years together and twenty-four
of those years married, we are still absolutely in love. Ours is a deep
spiritual love primarily although it also exists at several other levels:
buddies, friends, partners and sexual mates. For both of us finding each
other was finding our “Soul Mate.”
For twenty-five years
we have experienced life to its fullest. We explored consciousness wherever
we found it. Both of us are explorers of consciousness and by coming together
simply enhanced that spirituality for both of us. There have been ups
and downs psychologically of course, but spiritually we have been rock
solid. Each of us came into our beautiful relationship “knowing
who we were” and we continued to solidify that wisdom and deep knowing
by each taking responsibility for our own life. Then, as wholeness, as
a unit, our relationship continues to blossom and unfold. Through all
kinds of joys and sorrows, through ups and downs we have kept our spiritual
relationship active, whole and supportive.
Our life together and our world view is based on surprise, mystery, storytelling,
love, connectedness, listening deeply, holding of space, trusting intuition,
non-attachment, not knowing, non-judgment, art, music, sound, movement,
whole-body sensing, symbolism, metaphor and discernment. These are all
just some of the principles that we resonate with on a deep level and
on which our relationship is based.
We were drawn to Asheville
and Western North Carolina by the spirit and energy of the mountains and
other reasons that keep unfolding. We were involved for over seven yeas
in the world-wide Emissary Community and were attracted by the EarthHaven
Community in Black Mountain, but found it too “Spartan” for
our interests and age. We love community. (Also see our write-up in the
Collective Wisdom Initiative at http://www.collectivewisdominitiative.org/)
We are most interested
in work & play in the field of self-organized, non-hierarchal, small
group work. We are also interested in continuing to generate a satisfying
personal community around ourselves -- that reflects the wisdom of the
heart in Western North Carolina and across the world. We would like to
find additional ways to help change the world toward a more conscious
and progressive place to live and love. We believe Asheville is a great
place to be.
We have facilitated
Learning Circles with older adults at the UNCA Center for Creative Retirement.
(A learning circle is where the participants interact around a circle,
on a question or topic, based on their personal life experiences.) We
have and do facilitate Open Space events such as the WNC IONS (Institute
of Noetic Sciences) local chapter (see www.IONS.org).
We have and do organize
and champion other self-organized, non-hierarchal, groups around wisdom
circles that arise from the hearts of the group members interacting with
each other. Peter has been a board of trustees member at the Center for
Creative Living in Asheville. We have been facilitators of Emissaries
of Divine Light small groups in the past, and have evolved away from hierarchy.
Lately we have been exploring the openness of the Friends (Quaker) tradition
in Asheville.
We like to find new
ways to move through the new millennium as the old culture crumbles and
disintegrates around us. What excites us most is the discovery that others
understand what we have known intuitively and we no longer need to go
into long and convoluted explanations about what we are sensing. We now
have a short hand way to explain it to others! All we have to say is:
“Open Space!” Yea!
For nearly twenty-five
years we have been excited by being at the edge of culture and small group
work, working and playing with others with ideas of collective and shared
facilitation. We love deep heart connections with wise and aware friends
in community. Early on we marketed “Living Responsibly.” The
most challenging thing we have run up against was explaining to others
what we saw as the next step in humanity’s conscious evolution.
In 1968 George Leonard, a Look magazine editor and “New Age”
proponent, wrote a small book entitled “Education and Ecstasy”
that whetted Peter’s appetite for something new and useful. It was
about having been brought up to sit quietly in rows in school as a child,
being attentive to the pronouncements of others in our youth and sitting
in audiences, churches and seminars right now, as adults -- listening
to others talk AT US – and urgently wanting something more participatory,
self-organizing and experiential!
Harrison Owen’s
Open Space as a technology and as a way of life began to provide some
satisfaction. We had recently initiated a small alternative Sunday celebration
based on the principles of love and shared interaction. We called it “The
Asheville Sacred Circle,” and it lasted for nine months! (As we
said above, we have lately been exploring the Quaker activities in Asheville.)
We are open to be
contacted on our connections noted above or willing to join on line or
participate in conference calls etc. Our contribution would be based on
our over 20 years of experience in these areas and our willingness to
think "out of the box." We are willing to spend some of our
time to further the overall process. We are both retired.
Esther is a retired
middle school Art & Biology teacher: Peter is a retired General Motors
Corporation manager. Esther is an artist, primarily in oil paintings.
Peter is physically challenged and uses an electric wheel chair since
his stroke nearly 3 years ago. We try not to be constrained by that, but
are realistic. It is sometimes difficult to get into people’s houses
and be with people that do not have such physical challenges. Peter’s
long time hero is Ram Dass, especially since his stroke and his book “I’m
Still Here!” Esther says her hero is Peter!
We both greatly appreciate
“Tomorrow’s God” and are members of the local Asheville
Humanity’s Team. We are also members of the Spiritual Cinema Circle
and love to share conscious and uplifting movies in our home theatre.
We also greatly appreciate and love Peter’s adult children: Gayle,
Brian and Toni (Antoinette) all who bring us great love, joy and connection.
We always look forward
to BEING OUT OF THE BOX with wise, creative, aware people. Here is to
our mutual love, wisdom and consciousness!
Namaste
Peter and Esther Fisher
29 Little Cedar Ct.
Asheville, North Carolina 28805
828-298-2299
828-298-5161 (Fax)
Peter: PeterEsther@Charter.net
Esther: EstherPeter@Charter.net
Esther’s art work web site: StarBrushedStudio.com