Elisabeth Sladen, Doctor Who, and Permaculture

When I talk too much about the environment jefe

gives me this mower. What a relationship!

Yesterday, as I mowed a particularly nasty lawn I reflected on the recent passing of Elisabeth Sladen. Sladen played Sara Jane Smith on the science fiction series Doctor Who, back in the seventies. 


What struck me the most was an interview related by NPR where Sladen talked about how drama in science fiction didn't come from the gadgets, it came from relationships, people and groups of people.


I realized then that permaculture and gardening are not about plants, sustainability, or even food. It is about the relationships of those people involved. Sure, those relationships interact with plants and food, but those are just props to allow us to interact with each other, and help each other.


Permaculture allows us to make greater connections, not just with the people near us, but with all the people of the world. I guess the biggest question we should ask ourselves is, what are we doing with that connection? Are we truly focused on the people, or the mulch? The family we are eating with, or the dinner itself?


People, relationships, groups, people. 


Thank you Lis.