I say I won’t. I say I’m immune to the alluring side of controversial communities, but each time I’m engrossed in one, I fall victim and become a passionate advocate. In the most depressing months of my last job, I was its biggest cheerleader. In some of the toughest days at school, I saw what the program could and should be. And even when this place kills me, I realize it’s magical.
Auroville is an interesting place. Complex. Confusing. The people here are quite the same. They are hard and simple at the same time. They are friendly and closed. Both people and place embody spirituality and goodness but thrive on capitalism and deceit. But I’ve become a fan. I’ve fallen victim to its charm.
Both here an in the other somewhat off-putting communities for which I rallied, I recognize the potential. I see what it could be instead of what it is right now. There is so much energy and possibility and hope and good people that Auroville really will become the City the Earth Needs when the young leaders cut the shit and do something. Until they do, this place risks becoming just like any other small community thriving off of the businesses and products they sell, even if those businesses and products are “holistic” or “alternative.”
This is why its fun to be a part of something small but growing: You get to partake in its construction. You get to play the part of idealist or optimist and work towards a dream that may never happen. But you know it could happen, and that’s why you continue to fight.
This is a city of warriors, and that’s why I love it. It’s a breeding ground for social entrepreneurs, and they are my passion. It’s also a Petri dish for testing ideas that could affect the rest of the world, and that’s why you should care. And it’s going to be something incredible, and that’s why the next generation of Auroville is so important.
In these types of places, every day is an adventure. And who doesn't love that?
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