Renegade Ecolutionist, Gangster Gardener, Giving it Away

Renegade Ecolutionist, Gangster Gardener, Giving it Away - This is Yagna!

June 19, 2013

I came across Ron Finley thanks to the wonderful program on NPR's Ted Radio Hour called "Giving It Away". It is full of wonderful stories of people who gave their time and energy to something bigger than themselves but not necessarily, something glamorous. They brought change the best way they know how. There are so many wonderful quotes for a Geeta lover - it is easy to connect these to the topic of Yajña spirit (cooperative endeavor for a higher cause) and generosity (दान).

I can't resist quoting verbatim from the NPR program. RAZ is Guy Raz, the NPR presenter of the TED Radio Hour.

RAZ: And his garden, it's literally in front of his house, on the sidewalk, open to the public 24/7. No formal invitation required. And in the beginning, the idea of a community garden on the sidewalk in South Central was so strange that his neighbors would mock him. They'd call him ...FINLEY: Ronny Appleseed.RAZ: Ronny Appleseed.FINLEY: I remember this time there was this mother and her daughter, 10:30 at night and they were in my yard. And I came out and they looked so ashamed. So I'm like, man, it made me feel bad that they were there and I told them, you don't have to do this like this. This is on the street for a reason. It made me feel ashamed to see people that was this close to me that was hungry and this only reinforced why I do this. And people asked me, Fin, aren't you afraid people are going to steal your food? And I'm like, hell no, I ain't afraid they're going to steal it. That's why it's on the street. That's the whole idea. I want them to take it. But then the same time, I want them to take back their health.

Finally, you must read this post by Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times that could just have set Ron Finley on the road to fame.

Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post

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