Just before Thanksgiving, there seems to be an influx of youngish people around here. They are the college kids, and those a bit older, who return just for the holiday and some reconnecting with family, and their old high school chums. Some of them stop by the house and we catch up a bit. It’s always like being in a time machine, because my recollection of these newly-minted adults is of kids running on a soccer field, or when they came to our door on Halloween dressed as princesses or Batmans, or maybe as pimply teens waiting to grow out of their most awkward years.
But there are also some kids (wait, they’re adults now!), who have come back to the West County to stay for a while. They’ve finished college and a job or two after that, or they’ve decided that living near family isn’t such a bad idea after all, or they’ve tired of the big city and find the slower pace and lovely surroundings here, more attractive than they ever imagined. They may need a bit more time to figure out what comes next, and their childhood home seems to be a good place to do just that.
In the coming months, I’m going to focus on some of those returnees. Some went to college, some went to the armed services, some got married and then unmarried, some just wandered away, and now they’re back.
I ran into Adam Fain the other day on a back road where I was walking Rosie. Adam was taking a shortcut to get to a secret persimmon tree he knew about that was loaded with ripe, perfect fruit.
He once played on one of our son’s soccer teams (Westco), and when he saw me last week, he stopped to gab. We continued our conversation today on the phone.
Where and when were you born Adam, and where is your family from?
Adam: Well, I was born in San Luis Obispo about 26 years ago. We moved up here when I was three, and this is where I grew up.
On my dad’s side of the family, we go way back. He had relatives that came here in the 1600s. On my mom’s side, her grandparents were Eastern European.
So where have you been and what have you been doing with yourself?
I’ve been living this past year in Durango, Colorado, with my girlfriend. We wanted to walk the Colorado Trail. It’s 600 miles long, but we just did 150 miles. We lived on a Community Farm which is an intentional community … I graduated in 2017 from Cal Poly with a degree in Applied Engineering. That makes me a carpenter. Haha.
So why did you come back here?
Well, it’s partly because my girlfriend and I needed a break, and I felt stuck in the community we lived in. I also felt that living on the farm was a bit of an escape, and not really engaging in society. I wanted to contribute more: to work more for the greater good.
So do you have a plan for how you might do that, now that you’re back here?
Yeah, I do. I’m enrolling in pre-nursing classes at the JC next month. You know; anatomy, chemistry, physiology…
Yeah I know. I did that myself at the JC back in the early 90s. It was hell! Do you know what you want to do in nursing?
What I’m most interested in are issues of mental health and isolation, and I see nursing as a big area where I can contribute to those things directly. Also, my mom is a nurse, and that must have influenced me in some way.
Tell me about it! I’m more proof of that. My mom was a nurse too. I’m sorry that she never saw me become one.
Adam, are you thinking that you want to be a parent some day?
Yeah, but I’ve only come to that recently. The climate change story was seriously keeping me back, but now I’m feeling like parenting is part of the human experience, and I don’t want to miss out on it.
It seems like the climate situation really weighs on you.
I spend a lot of time thinking about it … I’ve dipped my toes into beaver habitat issues. I could go on about that for a long time. Beavers are a keystone species who got wiped out in the fur trapping days. Some of the most active advocates for beaver habitat restoration are some people out at OAEC (Occidental Arts and Ecology Center). I follow their work. It’s the kind of concrete fixing of the world that I’m into. It’s one of the many examples of how humans have to get out of the way and let nature heal itself.
Adam, do you have any heroes these days? Anyone you’re following?
My latest hero is someone pretty obscure. His name is Daniel Schmachtenberger. He’s a ridiculously smart guy who’s committed to improving the world through something called information ecology. He thinks that’s where he’ll have the most impact, and I really respect his work.
It seems that changing the world through political change, is out of favor. Do politics today get you inspired, confused, sick, anxious, hopeful?
It would have to be angry. As long as there’s no cap on donations, things will continue to degrade … I’d say I’m an independent voter, who shares a lot of views with the Green Party, but who is willing to vote for the Democrat if I have to.
You seem to be an outdoorsy sort of guy. What’s your favorite hike around here?
I’d say Islands in the Sky, or Pole Mountain out in the Jenner Headlands. They’re both spectacular.
Okay, last question, Adam. If you had twenty extra bucks, who would you donate it to?
I like Earthjustice. Like their ad says: “Because the earth needs a good lawyer”. I also like The Consilience Project. They’re trying to create a new paradigm for news.
Adam, it’s been a pleasure speaking with you. I’m looking forward to seeing what sort of nurse you become. Good call, man.
You can find out more about Earthjustice (“considered the premier nonprofit public interest environmental law organization”) at: earthjustice.org
The Consilience Project (“a nonprofit media organization catalyzing critical conversations for the future of human civilization”) is at: consilienceproject.org
