#FieldNotes008: A Moment to Listen

A humble letter to my readers

Dear friends,

I want to start off by thanking you for reading and staying engaged with this content. It’s humbling to see how this readership has grown since I started The Sufi Gardener in April 2023.

John Francis in 1986. Photograph by Glenn Oakley.

I remember hearing about John Francis over a decade ago. John Francis took a vow of silence to learn to listen to others and avoid arguing, that lasted 17 years.

I'll be taking some time off for the next month or so, mostly to stay silent and practice listening. As a family man, I'll probably not live up to John Francis’ commitment, but I'll make the effort to listen more.

For those who know me, I talk way too much about things I don't understand, and I appreciate you for sticking around. There are hidden saints living hidden lives everywhere. As George Eliot wrote in Middlemarch:

“The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.”

I am also taking this break to finalize my upcoming permaculture workshop. I've decided to offer the workshop on a pay-what-you-can basis. As I speak with my friends and colleagues, I'm realizing that this knowledge is way too important to put a price on it.

For more information, and to register, please visit the link below. Heads up that the deadline to register is September 30th.

Thank you for your continued support.

It means a lot.

Stephane