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By Root 742 0

had any real idea of what went on in Bahia. Nor did the rest of the board for that matter, with the possible exception of Almuht. From this interaction, I had learned—again. I had let the board think I really controlled what went on in Bahia. I came back with my happy reports and all seemed to go well. I never really foregrounded the fundamental principle of Bahia Street’s success—that Bahia Street USA was not the top controlling umbrella, that Bahia Street Bahia was legally, and in practice, the core power of the organization. It was my mistake. I needed to write a position paper explaining the principles we had developed for Bahia Street. It was complicated because the understanding of what we were doing had come gradually, over years of experience. When Joyce had joined the board, I hadn’t been clear enough in my own head to explain these principles. It had been a process of learning, by both Rita and me.

I heard what sounded like Mo’s step outside. I smiled, anticipating his warmth and his laugh. I would take this incredible group of friends out for a beer. My toasts would also stretch a half a globe away to include Rita. My love for her almost hurt sometimes.

To a Mailing List of 750: September 18, 2004

Dear All,

I am sitting at the office with the cool scent of fall rains blowing across my shoulder. As I begin this, my thoughts keep turning to the story of the fellow who chopped off his arm to save his own life, then rappelled down a cliff, one-armed, and walked out to meet his rescuers. I just heard him on the radio because only six months after this event, and with only one arm now, he has already completed a book of his experiences. That kind of determination is awe-inspiring. If we aren’t careful, it can make the rest of us feel small in comparison.

But then, let us reflect upon the incredible things we each do in our lives. One thing that resonated with me when this fellow was talking was his feeling of being contained within a greater force, that when the rescue team met him he had only about a half an hour more before he would have lost enough blood to cause a heart attack; the timing was so perfect that he himself felt overwhelmed. And when he returned to the place of the accident, he saw the meeting of both his birth and his death.

I, of course, reflect upon Bahia Street. That it began seven years ago with only a thought between two friends and that it has become part of a larger force, of the people and energies that have made it so much more than the two minds that originally conceived it. So many times, Bahia Street almost collapsed in the early stages and then surprising connections went right to allow it to grow. This force I am talking about includes all of you who are reading this and who have helped in your varied ways over the years. When I think of that, I become awestruck again, of what beauty and strength can come from determination and collective energy. A “thank you” doesn’t quite work in this case, more a feeling of balance in what we are doing together.

So, with that, let me tell you the news. I will be going to Bahia in November and will return with more details, but I am delighted to report that reconstruction of the building is progressing well. Skilled and semiskilled workers rebuilt the foundation, digging the deep holes for the girders by hand. Then, still entirely by hand, they placed the girders and poured the foundation cement. Upon this was laid the internal infrastructure for the entire building. Support beams for the first floor have now also been hung and the floor for the first story poured.

Rains slowed this process, but the rainy season has now finished, and we can expect sunny weather for the rest of the construction. The next phase will be to refurbish the front façade of the building and secure it, a necessary move since the interior of the building will now begin to contain more expensive portable materials. Then work will begin on completing the first floor, then the second, on up to the top. Rita explained that by proceeding in this manner, if the project