h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When One has the responsibility of having a child who develops a long term illness it is always traumatic to think of what is going to happen when the carer/parent/sibling dies. This has been my nightmare for a long time and yesterday I spent the day in a most wonderful place where, hopefully, when the need arises, the person for whom I care can be looked after. This was one of the Camphill Villages. I had known about this movement for some considerable time but until recently had thought that they only cared for the mentally handicapped - not the mentally ill. Fortunately I met one of the people who has been vitally involved in the running of the movement in England at a conference in December. Our day out yesterday was the result.
I was totally bewitched with the ethos of the movement which is based on the Anthroposophical approach of Rudolf Steiner. This revolutionary thinker believed in a holistic approach to caring for the other, and his followers have continued with this approach. Karl Konig wrote a brilliant analysis of what the concept of "The Meaning and value of Curative Education and Curative work" means.This is quoted in an edition of Anthroposophy Today No. 10 Summer 1990.
"The "curative attitude" must find expression in any and every kind of social work: in pastoral work, in the care of the aged, in the rehabilitation of the mentally ill and the physically handicapped, in the guidance of orphans and refugees, of people in despair and thinking of suicide - and also in Development aid, the Peace Corps and similar attempts",(p.5)
Further Karl Konig says that
"We must learn to see our work as curative teachers in such a way that we are not only the guides but at the same time the guided, not only teachers, but simultaneously students"(p.6)
These profound words of wisdom struck me forcibly as I thought of my own experience on h2g2. Last night, when I had settled down I and done my chores I needed to share the experiences of this wonderful day with my guides in cyberspace. And I was able to. As usual my very special mentor, Lurcher, came on line with a word to say that he was there. It truly was an experience which I shall always treasure. Here I am, one of the oldest members of this vital community, being helped and instructed by people young enough to be my grandchildren. And because this method of contact is in cyberspace, the fact that we are generations apart is practically unimportant. We can communicate, we can learn and we can share our experiences, knowledge and skills. We are a community who are practising what Konig calls "curative education". For that I am deeply grateful and I really think that it must have been the vision of the founder of h2g2, to see the potential of this new medium; to bond people together and to make us all aware of both the tragedies and the hopes of this world.
Thank you all and bless you. AR1 the Venerable but mobile

This is a very special community, and I'm very, very glad I found it! We find friends here, and when we find out what that person is really like, it's rather surprising. I've had the pleasure of meeting quite a few people that I became friends with here, and even though there may be many, many years and oceans that "divide" us, we got along just as well as we do online!

I'm from NY, and visited London last summer. There were some of us that were supposed to meet one day. Some of the people didn't show up, and there were only 2 of us to spend the day together. He's 20 years younger than me, and I thought he'd be appalled at having to spend the day with "his Mum". We ended up having a great day! So the usual barriers that are there when people meet in person are removed online, and don't seem to make a difference once we do meet. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it was like that all the time?

I'm also glad to have found you here! I hope to speak to you soon. Take care!

What one gets out of something, AR1, is usually in proportion to what one puts in. Or it should be.
Knowing something of the problems and difficulties you face, and the way you cope with them, it is only right that you should, from time to time, reap a few benefits.
You manage to extract pleasure from the simplest of things, and that, in itself, is a blessing many would envy.

I feel priviledged to be a friend.


L