first of all - thanks Brett. This is an interesting forum for such a far flung community of seekers, activists, artists, and whatever - such as ourselves.

I wanted to chime in with a quick story about me and Morris Mitchell, the founder, and original guiding light of FWC. I spent my first semester, in '71, on his tree farm in Clarkesville Georgia with him and 5 other students.

Our days consisted of building an A-Frame structure, building a cement fish pond (my ongoing project,) sharing all household/farm chores, and the daily discussions with Morris (then 76) on economics, culture, education, the meaning of life, etc.

There are many stories from that era, but I want to tell you about when I first met Morris. I had to be "interviewed" by him before he was willing to include me in the Clarkesville contingency, and so one morning in Feb. of '71, I stepped into his cabin at the home site at Mitchell Gardens, Long Island.

I was a small hippie freak with wild curly hair twirling out in all directions. I spoke somewhat dizzley, and was rather spaced-out. Morris looked at me, and asked, "Your name is Lesley?" I said yes. He kept looking at me and asked, "Are you strong?" I answered, "I'm am not big, but I am strong for my size." Morris interrupted me, "I didn't ask if you were big, I asked if you are strong."

I thought about it, and decided that I was pretty strong, and told him. He said "good... Fred. I said, my name is Lesley, not Fred. Morris then said something that I can still hear very clearly..In a slow southern drawl, with conviction and humor, he proclaimed to me, "You're FRED!"

I said, "okay...'

So, for that semester I was Fred. And, every once in awhile, when I speak to people who were in Georgia with Morris and me, they call me Fred. And, over the years, I have met some who were with Morris later, and they tell me that Morris would tell them about unpractical Fred, and the fish pond that wouldn't hold water.

Lesley