Berea College

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If you would let me dance about architecture for a moment, I would appreciate it. The tale of Ezell is in everything we’ve done (and are doing). Ezell spoke while we set the table each night, while we checked in, and while we climbed the mountain. It was in our heart beats and our breath. Watching the irises bloom was because of Ezell, and they said that beauty lives beneath my feet—Ezell taught me that love exists where you plant your feet. Telling your story is not just for the benefit of other people, it is a chance to move your feet and spread your love. I spread my love through the forest and onto the risers, in the “Break Room” where our food was born, and in the mix of love from other people following the same asphalt path.

The love came out of my hands and my mouth and my eyes, and it’s sitting in my chest and my head, waiting for more. This experience felt like just a warm-up for the care that I’ll extend to the rest of the world for the rest of my life. I was told that I was good at helping out, and I know that it’s true because it felt good. Being on-site and running around was so fulfilling. It’s so rare for me to not be pre-occupied with something these days, whether it be a want to rest, or stress about school. But when I was there, so was my mind, and everything else fell away. Which I’m counting as a good thing even during a tumultuous finals season, because as a very wise and caring man once said to me, “If you have a time where you can work or you can rest, you should rest.” (It was Chris.)

Chatting with people during the dinner and after was super cool. It felt like a wedding—one massive celebration of life—w ere I got to meet people from all over Bobby B and Carrie’s lives. It would start with questions like, “Where are you from?” or, “What did you all think?” And information about them, and then the cast would present itself. Each conversation was a piece of a puzzle, and we all gained some which make a picture unique to us and to this place. I even met a woman who graduated from the same high school as I did, which is crazy.

I wish I had more time (or was maybe a little braver during the time we had) to talk to everyone on the team individually. Knowing I was entering <em>your</em> space, I tried to leave time to just sit back and observe, and to let everyone do their thing. I have an immense amount of respect for the people who worked on this with me and can only look forward to future opportunities to get to know people even more.

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Being a part of Ezell was not only an honor because of its reverence—both in content and after-effect—but also because it is a beautiful creative project. Each night I ended proud of myself for not disrupting the experience for others with my excitement. It was a struggle for me to not leave the group, dancing, every time I heard Mudd’s “Ashokan Farwell,” (I love that tune!) and the talent in the forest this spring was so inspiring and delightful. The minds and the hearts and the hands that built and sustain Ezell each contribute something so essential, and I take with me the hope that someday I will find a group of people—a team—like this one to hang out with for a while.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart and the top of my head.

To learn more about what Ezell is visit Clear Creek's Website <a href="https://www.clearcreekcreative.net/#landing">here</a>

Ainsley’s Reflections on Ezell