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COMMONWEAL

ACollectiveMemoir

PARTITheEarlyYears1975-1982

Writteninpart,andeditedby

MaryCallenderandMichaelLerner

©Commonweal*www.commonweal.org

[Allcontributorsretainrightstotheirowncontributions]

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TABLEOFCONTENTS PrefaceMichaelLerner

I. AVisionofCommonweal-MichaelLernerII. FoundingCommonweal-BurrHenemanIII. TheCommonwealClinic-BrianBouch,M.D.IV. TheCommonwealResearchInstitute-SteveLernerV. WritingforCommonweal-FrancineAllenVI. TheCommonwealGarden-MichaelLernerVII. BeginningtoRenovatetheRetreatCenter-MichaelLerner

VIII.CrisisandRebirth-MichaelLerner

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PrefaceDearFriend:What you have before you is the first installment of the Commonweal CollectiveMemoirProject. This isaproject thatmydear friendandcolleagueMaryCallenderandIhavebeenworkingonfortenyears.Maryneeded thepatienceof Job to staywith thisproject. Iwascontinuouslypulledawayby theurgencies of life inany small nonprofit organization. TheMemoirwasunquestionablyimportant,butitwasneverurgent.WhatfinallyenabledmetoconcentrateontheMemoirwerefourconsiderations.First, my colleague Oren Slozberg set out with great determination to markCommonweal’s 40th anniversary. He believed the Memoir should be part of thatoccasion.Second,asIwritein2016,Iam72yearsofage.Ihopeformanyyearsofservice.ButIknowImaybecalledawaytowhateverliesbeyondthislifeatanytime.Third,mycolleagueswithwhomIhaveworkedfortwo,threeandfourdecadesarenotgettingyoungerthemselves.Weneededtogettheirmemoriesdownonpaper.Fourthand finally, I am the sole survivorofall ofCommonweal’s fourdecades—theonlypersonwhohasbeenherethroughoutthattime.HenceIwastheobviousonetotell the story. I found inMaryCallenderapartnerwhosededicationhasbeen trulyexceptional. Mary has done most of the work, prevailing on others to write theirmemoriesdownandeditingmanypiecesofmywritingintoamorecoherentnarrative.Thisisnotamemoirwhereyouwillfindourgreatestmomentsofhumanstruggle.Theexception is that I do describe the near-collapse of Commonweal in 1982, and thepersonal crisis I faced at the same time. The Commonweal story cannot be toldwithoutincludingit.Commonwealhasbeengraced for40yearswitha remarkably low levelof staffandBoard conflict. But we have had our share, and they have sometimes been heart-wrenchinglydifficult. Youwon’tfindthosestorieshere.Itwouldbeneitherkindnorwisetotellthem,anditwouldnotfurtherourdedicationtothework.This Memoir is intended as a source book for others whomay construct their ownstoriesofCommonwealbydrawinguponit. Ioffermyheartfeltgratitudetoeachofthehundredsofmyfellowpilgrimswhohavewalkedthispathwithme.Igivespecialthanks to thosewhohavebeenwilling to commit theirmemories topaper.Weholdthisasaworkinprogressandwelcomenewcontributions.

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ThanksforbeingapartoftheCommonwealjourneyof40years.MichaelMay21,2016

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I.AVISIONOFCOMMONWEALByMichaelLernerOnacrispfallmorningin1975,IwaswalkingalongadirtroadinBolinas,asmalltownnorthofSanFranciscooverlookingthePacificOcean.Igazedupthecoastatanoldwhitebuildingnestledonahighbluffbytheocean’sedge. Anoffshorebreezesent swirls of mist scudding across the fields, as sunlight flickered through theclouds.Bychance,ashaftoflightbrokethroughthemistandlituponthebuilding,half-hiddeninagroveofpinetrees.Iknewthehistoryoftheoldbuilding.Ithadbeenbuiltintheearly20thcenturybythe Italian inventorGuglielmoMarconi.Againstenormousodds,Marconi, ahome-schooled child, had invented wireless communication. In 1897, he created theMarconi Wireless Telegraph Company that was later taken over by RadioCommunications of America (RCA) as part of its global radio communicationsnetwork. The Marconi transmitter station was the place where wirelesstransmissionsacrossthePacificOceanfirstbegan.While gazing at the abandoned building, I had a sudden and unexpected thought.Perhapswecouldtransformthatoldtransmitterbuilding intoahealingcenter—aplacededicatedtohealingthoseinneedandrestoringtheearth.Iwasastonishedbythe clarity and power of the vision. I walked the quarter mile back to CarolynBrown’s house and told her what I had seen. Carolyn, the divorced wife of aPresbyterianministerwith three childrenunder seven,was in her kitchendryingdishes.Shelookedatmewithpenetratingblue-greyeyesandsaidsoftly:“Let’stry.”Inthethreeprecedingyears,CarolynandIhadbuiltFullCircle,aschoolfortroubledchildren on the outskirts of Bolinas. No reason, we thought, we couldn’t start ahealingcenteron1,100acresoflandsurroundinganoldRCAtransmitterfacilityatthesouthernedgeof thePointReyesNationalSeashore. Itwasa timewhenmanyyoungpeoplewerefollowingtheirdreams.Wewouldcontinueworkingwithat-riskchildren,while expanding our healingwork to include adults. Aware of the deepconnectionbetweenhumanhealthandthehealthoftheearth,wewantedtocreateacenterwherehumanandenvironmentalhealthwereseenasfundamentallylinked.Thathasbeenourintentioneversince.MyPathtoCommonwealBorn the eldest of my parents’ three sons in New York City in 1943, I grew upsurroundedbyartists,writers,thinkersandjournalists.IattendedDaltonSchoolinNew York, a private progressive school, as did my younger brothers Steve andAdam.In9thgrade,IenteredPhillipsExeterAcademyinNewHampshire.AfterthewarmandkindenvironmentofDalton,Exeter felt like jumping intoan icy lake. Itwasanacademicandemotionalbootcamp.

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AfterExeter,IworkedinParisforayearasacopyboyforthe InternationalHeraldTribune.TheAlgerianwar raged and plastic bombs exploded. Iwas arrested in aroundupofAlgerians—thepolicemistookmeforone.Afterworkendedat3a.m.,Irodemy ancient BMWmotorcycle home through the freezing streets to the cold-water, dollar-a-night Left Bank hotel. During the day, I haunted Shakespeare &Company,thegreatLeftBankbookstorewhereGeorgeWhitmanpresided.When I returned to the U.S., I went to Harvard in 1962 to study psychology andpolitics.JoanBaezwassinginginalittleclubnearHarvardSquare.WritingfortheHarvardCrimson,IcoveredtheVietnamWarandPresidentKennedy’sassassination,andwatchedmyfriendsgosouthforMississippiSummer.In1965, Iwent toRiode JaneiroonaFulbrightFellowship. Soonafter I returnedfromBrazil,theSixDayWarbrokeoutinIsraelinJune1967.MybrotherSteveandIscroungedpresscredentials—heforTheVillageVoiceandIforTheWashingtonPost.WeflewtoTelAvivontheseconddayofthewar.IcaughtaridewiththreeotherreportersintotheSyrianfoothillsinaconvoyofIsraelijeeps.Whenthecommanderlearned that reporters were riding with his troops, he ordered us to walk backtowardIsraelilinesinthetwilight.TheIsraeliswereexpectingSyriantroopsmightattack.ItwastheclosestIcametogettingshot.IheadedsouthandjoinedthefirstconvoyofcorrespondentstocrosstheSinaiPeninsula.WestoppedtogivewatertoawoundedEgyptiansoldiersittingbythesideoftheroad.ThesmokingtanksandpersonnelcarrierslitteredthedesertlikeaFellinilandscape.OncebackintheUnitedStates,IstartedgraduateschoolinpoliticalscienceatYale.My mother was a psychologist, my father a political theorist—psychology andpoliticsweremyfocusfromcollegethroughgraduateschool.MydoctoralthesisonPersonalPoliticsfocusedonin-depthstudiesofYaleundergraduateswithambitionsforhighpoliticaloffice.Psychologyandpoliticswerealsoattherootofmylifelonginterest inpersonalandplanetaryhealing.Aftergraduateschool, Ibeganteachingpoliticaltheory,psychologyandpoliticsatYale.In1972,ItookasabbaticalfromteachingatYaletoworkasanAssociatewiththeCarnegieCouncilonChildren.Theorganizationwasheadedbymymentor,KennethKeniston,whohadwritten twobookson theyouthculture:TheUncommittedandYoungRadicals.KenandIagreedthatIwouldworkhalftheyearinNewHavenandhalftheyearinSanFrancisco,whileresearchingtheneedsofchildrengrowingupintheUnitedStates.Mygirlfriend,LeslieAcoca,andIpackedmyred2002BMWwithallourpossessionsanddroveouttotheWestCoast.WhenwereachedSanFrancisco,wecouldn’tfindanapartment.IrememberedthatafriendfromYalehadmentionedBolinas,asmalltownon thePacificCoast, sowe tookadayoff toexploreWestMarin.Arriving inBolinas,wewalkedthroughalightrainintoScowley’s,asmokycoffeeshop.ThereIrecognizedOrvilleSchell,whosebrother Jonathanhadbeena classmateandclose

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friend at Dalton. Orville told us how townspeople had recently ousted the pro-growthboardoftheBolinaspublicutilitiesdistrictandinstalledaboardthatsharedavisionofasmallandsustainablecommunity.WearrivedinBolinasjustaftertheSummerofLoveinSanFrancisco.Hippiesweremoving back to the land and many had discovered that Bolinas had become theepicenterofthecounter-culturemovement.ItwasnoaccidentthatLeslieandIweredrawn to Bolinas. At Yale, I had created and taught a popular course on theAmerican counterculture. Dozens of young people were living in shacks on thebeachorbuildingtheirownhousesoncheaplandalongthemeanderingdirtroadsoftheBolinasMesa.Youcouldbuyadecenthousefor$25,000.Wesawanadforahouse for rent on the community bulletin boarddowntown.We rented thehouseandsettledinBolinasforwhatwethoughtwouldbeasabbaticalyear.WhileworkingwiththeCarnegieCouncilonChildren,IdecidedtovolunteerattheBolinasSchool,wherethefirstgenerationofchildrenoftheseyoungcountercultureparents were encountering public education for the first time. Their familialrelationshipswerecomplex,astheirparentschangedpartnersandhadchildreninvarious combinations. The casualties of this cultural transformation were onlyflickeringfutureshadows.DaveDuffin,anex-Marinewhodrovetheschoolbus,hadbuiltamotorcyclerepairshopontheschoolcampusandwasraisingawholegenerationofyoungboyswhowere trying tomake sense of theirworld. I volunteered to sweep out the repairshopsoIcouldwatchDaveworkhisgentlemagicwiththechildren.GeorgeBailey,agentleTexanwithadeepSouthernaccent,wastheteacher in thesecondgradeclassroomwhereIvolunteered.Oneday,Georgesaidtome:“Michael,ahmfix’ntointroduceyoutoafriendofmine.”George’sfriendwasCarolynBrown.Meeting Carolyn changedmy life. We sat and talked in an empty classroom forseveralhours. She toldmeaboutheroldest son,whohadbeenbornwith severelearning disabilities. His pediatrician suggested putting him on medication,predictingthathewouldneverbeabletoliveonhisown.Carolynrefusedtoacceptthatprognosis.ShehadstudiedbookswrittenbyAdeleDavis,thepopularnutritioneducator, and was convinced that nutrition could help children with seriouslearningandbehavioralproblems.Shetrulybelievedthattherehadtobeawaytoraisechildrenlikehersonsothattheycouldliveindependentlyasadults.Theideathatnutritioncouldhelplearningdisabledchildrenseemedhighlydubiousto me. But I agreed to go to Berkeley with Carolyn to visit the Growing Mind, aschool she had founded for neurologically handicapped children, in a convertedwarehousenotfarfromthefreeway.Carolynintroducedmetoalittlegirlwhohadbeendiagnosedasretardedandwasunable to leavehermother’sside.AnelderlyHungarian psychotherapist put the little girl on a diet free of gluten and dairyproducts. Within weeks, the fog of seeming retardation had lifted. The dietarychangemadeadramaticdifferenceinthechild’sabilitytofunctionintheworld.It

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turned out that shewas learning disabled—not retarded. Amonth after changingherdiet,shewasabletogodownthestreetbyherselftothecornergrocerystore,somethinghermotherwouldneverhaveimaginedpossiblebefore.Iwas astonished. I had studied child psychology as an undergraduate atHarvardandagraduatestudentatYale.IhadworkedattheYaleChildStudyCenter,theYalePsychiatricInstituteforyoungadults,andtheCarnegieCouncilonChildren.Noonehadeversuggestedthatnutritionmightaffectconsciousness.IwassostruckbythislittlegirlthatIdecidedtogiveupmyteachingpositionatYaletofindouthowmanyotherchildrenhadsimilarreactionstofoodsandchemicals.Icrisscrossed the country visiting centers that offered nutritional therapies forchildren and adults. I met Ben Feingold, M.D., who believed that food additivescaused hyperactivity, Theron Randolph, M.D., the pioneer of clinical ecology (thestudy of food and chemical sensitivities), Carl Pfeiifer, Ph.D., a pioneer oforthomolecular medicine, and many others. I wrote a report for the FordFoundation called Tomorrow’s Children: The role of nutrition in the learning andbehaviordisordersofchildren. Ireportedthatnutritionhelpedsomechildrenalot,somechildrenalittle,andsomechildrennotatall.FoundingFullCircleIn late 1972, Carolyn and I began making plans to build a residential school inBolinas forchildrenwithsevere learningandbehavioralproblems. ItwasamajorlifedecisiontoleaveYaleinordertotrytostartaschoolfortroubledchildren.MyparentsthoughtIwascrazy.Ididn’tblamethem.Iknewthislookedlike—andmightbe—professional suicide. Iwas givingup a likely future as a tenuredprofessor atYaletotrytobuildaschoolwherewewouldfeeddelinquentchildrenanutritiousdiettoseeif itwouldaltertheirbehavior.Andyet,thequestionwascompelling—couldnutritionactuallyplayanimportantroleinconsciousness?Weboughtanoldappleorchardon22acresoflandinDogtown,asmallclusterofhouses just north of Bolinas on Route One. We enlisted George Bailey and TimTabernik to help us build the residential center from the ground up. Tim was acarpenterandformerCatholicseminarianwithalong,blondpigtaildownhisback.Togetherwithother long-haired friends,we toredownadilapidated farmstead inthePointReyesNationalSeashore.WeloadedthelumberontoacreakyflatbedFordtruck,thendrovefivemilestoDogtown.Wehustledmaterialsfrombuildingsupplycentersthatwerewillingtogivecut-ratedealstoagoodcause.Onabeautifulspringday in1974,LeslieandIweremarriedbyCarolynBrownintheunfinishedbuilding,withtheraftersrisingabovetheconcreteslabonwhichwestood.Whenwefinishedthe5,000squarefootresidentialtreatmentcenter,wenameditFull Circle. I knew that the San Andreas Fault—the major earthquake rift in

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Northern California—ran right through the property.When I was younger, I hadthoughttwothingswere incomprehensible—onewaschoosingto live inavolatileearthquake zone. The other was choosing a life of social work with seriouslytroubledchildren.HowstrangethatmypreciseimageofincomprehensiblechoicesatayoungeragewasthelifepathIwasnowfollowing.Oncethebuildingwasfinished,weneededchildrentofillit.CarolyncalledjuvenilehallsthroughoutNorthernCaliforniaandtoldprobationofficersthatwewouldtakeseverely troubled children that no one else wanted. In her search, Carolyn oftenheard thephrase “throwawaykids” applied to the childrenwehoped tobring toFullCircle.Iwentout inmyoldredBMWtopickup James,a littleblondboywithpaleskin,darkcirclesunderhiseyesandseverehyperactivity.Hehadalonghistoryofarrestsfor burglary, theft, drug dealing and violent assaults. Extremely belligerent, heneededtobephysicallyrestrainedat leastonceaday.HewasuncooperativewiththeFullCircledietaryprogramuntilhewastestedforallergies.Withinsecondsaftera nurse placed a drop of blue food coloring under his tongue, James went wild,attackedthenurseandstartedthrowingfurniturearoundtheroom.James’ rages subsidedoncehe agreed to stop eating junk food and anythingwithpreservatives.Henever becamewhatmost peoplewould call “well behaved”, butafterawhileherarelyhadtobephysicallyrestrained.Hebecamemuchmoreselfcontrolled, filled out physically, and his academic performance improvedconsiderably.Weneverknewpreciselywhatcausedthesechanges,butbeyondthecounseling,staffattention,cleanair,exerciseandsomeplaceboeffect,itseemedthatnutritionwasasignificantfactor.AndthentherewasJack—asmall,blondnine-year-oldwhoconstantlytrippedoverhisownfeet.Hislongestsentenceswereonlythreewordsandheansweredalmosteveryquestionwith“Idunno.” Jackwasextremelyhyperactiveandhadpsychoticepisodes each morning. He couldn’t find his way out of his room and down tobreakfast. At the table, he couldn’t get food onto his fork and into hismouth.Hisfatherhadadegenerativedisease;hismotherhad sufferedanervousbreakdown,andhisbrotherwasadrugaddict.Jack’stherapistpredictedthathewouldprobablycommitsuicidebyagefourteen.Jack was diagnosed with severe hypoglycemia, food allergies and chemicalhypersensitivities.Hisbloodsugarwentdownsolowovernightthatbymorninghewasoutoftouchwithreality.Puttinghimonahypoglycemicdietwithhighproteinsnacksbeforebedtimeandorangejuiceuponarisingendedthemorningpsychosis.Allergy tests showed dramatic psychological and behavioral responses to eggs,wheat, yeast, chlorine, and red, yellow and blue food dyes. Removal of theseallergensandchemicalsfromhisdietbroughtfurtherimprovement.Withinayear,Jackwasabletospeakinlong,complexsentencesandstayconnectedwithreality.Heremainedastrangechild,inaworldofhisown,buthewouldnothavetospend

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therestofhislifeconfinedtoaninstitution.WefilledFullCirclewithtraumatizedyoungboyslikeJames,Jack,andten-year-oldSamwho had been raped,whippedwithwire and tied to his bed.We staffed theschool with young hippies, two just back from a trip to India, and an ex-SpecialForcessoldierwhohadservedinVietnam.LeslieandTimTabernikstartedteachingintheunfinishedclassroominthefrontofthebuilding.Workingwiththeseyoungboys,wediscoveredthatbehaviordisorderswerefarmoreresponsivetonutritionaltreatmentthanlearningdisabilitiesthatseemedtochangeveryslowly,ifatall.Overtheyears,wefoundthatnutritionmadeabigdifferencewithsomeofthesechildren,alesserdifferencewithothers,andnodifferenceatallwithstillothers.ACenterforServiceandResearchinHealthandHumanEcologyHavingsuccessfullybuiltFullCirclefromthegroundupovertheprevioustwoyears,CarolynandIwerestrangelyconfidentthatwecouldactuallybuildahealingcenterontheRCAproperty.Asourplansevolved,wedecidedtocallitacenterforserviceandresearchinhealthandhumanecology. Whilethatisanawkwarddescriptor,itremainsattheheartofourwork40yearslater.Initially, Carolyn and I wanted to call the new center The Institute for PlanetaryServices. It sounds farcical to our ear today, but it accurately reflects ourconsciousnessatthetimeand,indeed,thespiritoftheoriginalvision.CarolynhadwalkedthelandwithArthurOkamura,aclosefriendandgiftedlocalartist.Carolynhadavisionofthenewcenterasoneoftheacupuncturepointsonthesurfaceoftheearth thatwas needed for healing the planet. But JudgeMary Conway Kohler, anearlyadvisorandoneofthefirstjuvenilecourtjudgesinthecountry,firmlytoldusthat the name would never do. She suggested that we find a name with its ownpowerthatwouldresonatewiththeconsciousnessofthetime.Oneafternoon,whenmywifeLeslieandIwerebrainstormingaboutapossiblename,shesuddenlycameupwith“CommonWheel.”Thatsoundedpromising.Theninaflashitcametome—“Commonweal”—an old English word meaning “the well-being of the wholecommunity.”Carolyn suggested that we invite Burr Heneman, a Yale-trained journalist andtelevision producer, to join us in founding Commonweal. At the time, Burr washelping the artist Christo lay the groundwork forRunning Fence, an 18 foot tall,white nylon fence that snaked 24 miles through western Sonoma and Marincounties, with one end emerging from—or disappearing into—the Pacific Ocean.Burr had guided the construction project through the maze of permits,environmental studies and local politics. As a leading environmentalist, Burrwaswell respected in Bolinas as one of themost effective community strategistswhowascommittedtosavingthesmalltownfromunwanteddevelopment.We imagined we would open a medical clinic to test and treat children withneurological disorders and adultswith chronic illness, and a research institute to

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documentthefindingsattheclinic,andexploretherelationshipbetweenhealthandthe environment. We planned to open a residential community where we couldprovidealowcostalternativetonursinghomesandhospitalsforthechronicallyill.We envisioned a farm with an abundant organic garden, free from chemicalfertilizersandpesticides,toprovidehealthy,nutritiousfoodforthosestayingattheresidentcommunity,aswellasthestaff.Communitybuildingswouldbepoweredbyalternativeenergysources—windmills,methanegeneratorsandasolarstill.Waterflowingdownoutof thehillscouldbecollected inpondsandtankstobeused forgardening and other needs. The entire sitewould be transformed into a dynamicmodelofecologyinwhichthewholesystem—buildings,energy,farming,waterandwaste—workedtogethertobenefitbothhumansandtheenvironment.Fortyyearslater,thevisionremainsincomplete.Butwe’vecomealongway.II.FOUNDINGCOMMONWEALByBurrHenemanWhenCarolynBrownfirstaskedifIwouldbeinterestedinco-foundingsomekindofhealthandenvironmentalorganizationwithMichaelandherself,IwaslivinginatraileronfiveacresoflandIhadboughtattheedgeofBolinas.Iwasinthemidstofdesigning andbuilding a house onmyproperty. I had gottenmost of the lumber,board by board, by taking apart a large house that the Point Reyes NationalSeashorewantedremovedfromLimantourBeach.Owner-built homes popped up all over Bolinas during the 1970s. There was anepidemicofconstructionwithoutcontractors.Weallhadourownmotivations,buttherewereafewcommonthreads.Money,mostofall.Wewouldn’thavehadhousesifwehadn’tbuiltthemourselves.Alotofusarrivedhereinthelate‘60sandearly‘70s, over-educated and under-employed, but interested in settling down. Bolinasdidn’tlooktouslikejustanotherwaystation.Building our own home was a long-time dream for many of us. Some of us hadmodest construction skills when we started, and we relied on knowledgeablefriends who were generous with their time and advice. Those who weren’t toostubborn learned from trial and error, too. We made it up as we went along,reinventingalotofwheelsalongtheway.Usingrecycledbuildingmaterialswasthenorm—wefeltgoodaboutsavingbothmoneyandtrees.Thespirit—andreality—ofcommunitywasnew tomanyofus,butalsoanecessity.Wedismantledbuildingstogether,andheldbarnraisingsandroofingparties.Friendscrewedforeachotherwhenconcretewaspoured.Idealism,combinedwiththequestion-authority,outlawstreakat large inBolinasat thetime,mayhavebeen justasstrongamotivatorasfinancialnecessityformanyofus.

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WhatCarolynandMichaelwereproposingwascrazy,ofcourse—buyingthe1,100-acreRCApropertyontheCaliforniacoasttocreateacenterformodelapproachestohealth and healing, earth stewardship, and agriculture. But the possibilities werejusttooattractivetometosayno.Carolyn,Michael,andIspokethesamelanguage:myfamilyhistoryhadsteepedmeinthesamerespectfortraditionalmedicineandopennesstoalternatives.AndIwasbroughtupwithanethicofcaringforlandandadesire to apply that ethic to a piece of ground. Iwas doing that onmy own fiveacres,but1,100morewasirresistible.Thegutted,derelicthistoricbuildingsthatarenowPacificHouse,Bothin,andKohlerwereanotherbigdrawformewithmyloveofdesign, construction, restoration and re-purposing. But the reality is that Carolynand Michael cast their spell and made the whole crazy dream seem perfectlyreasonable. I don’t know anyonewho ever said no after being double-teamed bythem.Weallknewthatwefacedtremendouschallengesingettingthesite.Firstofall,weneeded to be able to explain our vision so that itmade sense to others.We alsoneededtofigureouthowtogetintouchwithRCA.DougFerguson,afriendandtheattorneywhohadnegotiated thepurchaseof theFull Circleproperty, opened theconversationwithRCA.ItturnedoutthatRCAwasinterestedinsellingthesite,soMichaelandIenteredintoseriousnegotiationswiththem.WhenwesetouttoacquiretheRCApropertyasthehomeforCommonwealin1975,werecognizedthatCommonwealcouldhelprealizeimportantobjectivesofthenewBolinasCommunityPlan.Theplanhadjustbeendraftedbythecommunity; itwasapprovedbytheCountylaterthatyear.The210-acreHolterpropertyalongPoplarRoadwasforsalefordevelopment,andRCAwasscalingbackitsuseofits1,100-acreproperty.PeoplefortheGoldenGateNational Recreation Area (GGNRA) wanted those properties added to the PointReyesNationalSeashore.ThecommunitywasworriedabouthowtheNationalParkService would use the land and the substantial buildings on the RCA propertyadjacent to theMesa,wheremostofBolinas residents live. IfCommonweal, andagrazing operation under Commonweal’s supervision, occupied the RCA lands andbuildings, it would create a buffer between Bolinas and the Seashore's southernentranceatPalomarin.Commonwealwouldprecludedevelopmentofhigh-intensityvisitoruseiftheRCApropertybecamepartoftheSeashore.Wereachedatentativeagreementtobuytheentire1,100-acresiteandbuildingsfor$1.8million—anastoundingamountofmoneywecertainlydidnothave.RCAwouldcontinuetooperateonareducedscale,maintainingsomeantennasandusinghalfofthemainbuilding.Just as Commonwealwas close to a dealwith RCA, I got a phone call fromHueyJohnson,thefounderandpresidentoftheTrustforPublicLand(TPL).Hereachedme at home, in my trailer on Horseshoe Hill Road, which was also the officialcorporate address of Commonweal. I pictured Huey in somewhat more exalted

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offices. Having heard from People for GGNRA about our potential deal with RCA,Huey toldme thatwe could forget aboutourplans tobuy thepropertyandbuildsomekind of “BoysTown,” as he put it. He haddecided that TPLwould buy the1,100acresiteandeventuallyconveyittothePointReyesNationalSeashore.(Intheprocess,TPLwouldturnatidy“non-profitprofit.”)Thiswasquiteablow,partofitpersonal.Ididn’tknowHueythen,buthewasoneofmy heroes—a visionary conservationist and environmental policymakerwho hadbeen key to preventing development of a planned town of 10,000 in the MarinHeadlands. I explained to Huey that People for GGNRA had given him thewrongimpression and that Commonweal was not to be anything like a Boys Town. Idescribed howwewould be just the sort of steward of the land that TPLwouldapprove of. After a lengthy and frank exchange, it was clear that Huey wouldn’tbudge.ItoldhimIwassorryIhadn’tbeenabletoconvincehimthatCommonwealwould be a good alternative to the Seashore, but Michael, Carolyn, and I wouldcontinuetopursueourplan.Hesaid,“Fine.Ilikeafight.”Andthatwasthebeginningofastrugglethatlastedmorethanayear.The first roundwent to Huey. After being approached by TPL, RCA backed awayfromthesaletoCommonwealandeffectivelytoldusandTPLtosortitoutbetweenourselves.Inastrangetwist,thislargeanddistantcorporationdecidednottoselltoeither of us because they didn’twant to become involved in a local disputewiththeirreducedoperationcontinuingonthesite.Michael,Carolyn,andIbeganahigh-stakeschessgame,tryingtogentlymaneuverHueyawayfromhishardlineposition.AnearlymovewastoinviteHueyouttowalkthelandandtalkaboutCommonweal’splans.Heagreedtocome.OrvilleSchell,whowas a Commonweal board member, and County Supervisor Gary Giacomini, asupporter, also came along.We hoped Garywould give usmore credibility. Thatgatheringdidnotgowell.Hueywasmostlysilent.HeleftshortlyafterGaryhadtogo, but not before chewing us out for inviting our Supervisor in an effort tointimidatehim.Asithappened,serendipitywasonCommonweal’sside.AwomanontheTPLstaffwhomHueyhadgreatrespect forwasalsoanadmirerofCarolyn’sworkwith theGrowingMindschool inBerkeley. But thereallyastonishingcoincidencewasthatDougFerguson,ourattorney,wasoneofHuey’sclosestassociatesandchairmanofthe executive committee of TPL’s boardof directors. For some reason that I can’trecall, I thinkwedidnot learnthatuntila fewweeksafterHueyphonedme.Thatcircumstancechangedthenatureofthediscussion,butittookmanymoremonthstoresolve the conflict between Commonweal’s desire to be on the land and TPL’sdesire to buy the land and sell it to theNational Park Service.WithoutDoug, theoutcomemightwellhavebeenverydifferent.CommonwealandTPLbothowetheeventualdealtohispatience,competenceandgoodhumor.The stalemate ended with another phone call from Huey to tell us that he had

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decided, in essence, tobecomeCommonweal’s godfather.TPLwouldbuy the landfromRCAandconveyittotheNationalParkService.Commonwealwouldbecomealong-termtenant.And that’swhathappened—aftera fewmoremonthsof twistsand turns.WehadgottenHuey’s agreement, butwewould have to dealwith other obstacles on ourown.Theprimary opposition came from the formidablePeople for aGoldenGateNationalRecreationArea.RespondingtoPeopleforGGNRA,JohnBurton,thenourCongressman,introducedabilltoaddtheBolinaslandstotheSeashore.PeopleforGGNRAurgedJohntorejecttheTPL-Commonwealdeal.Theorganizationwasco-chairedbyDr.EdgarWayburn,a longtime president of the Sierra Club and one of the greatest advocates for thecreationofnationalparksinthe20thcentury.PeopleforGGNRAwasclosetobothJohnandhisolderbrother,CongressmanPhilBurton,whoselegislationaddedmorelandandwildernesstoournationalparksthananyoneelse.Butwewere close to JohnBurton, too. Ihadwalkedprecincts forhim in the ‘60swhenhe first ran for a stateAssembly seat fromSanFrancisco. I hadalsobeenaminorparticipant inSanFrancisco liberalpoliticsasoneoftworepresentativesofmybroadcastindustryunionontheAFl-CIOCommitteeonPoliticalEducation.Wehad consistently supported John and other candidates he favored. And he hadhelpedusoutwhenwewentonstrike in1967:mutualpolitical loyaltywas—andis—bedrock to him. Aside from that personal/political history, John wassympathetictotheseriousconcernofhisBolinasconstituents:thepossibilityofanoverpoweringNationalParkServicepresenceadjacenttous.To help him resolve the conflict, John asked his chief of staff, Barbara Boxer, toarrange a site visit and include us and Ed Wayburn. We all trudged across themagnificentlandswithJohnandendedupattheoldRCAhotel,whichthenwasanemptyshell.Justbeforeweleft,JohnaskedDr.WayburnwhathethoughttheParkServiceshoulddowiththebuildings.Edpaused—Idon’tthinkhe’dthoughtaboutitbefore—andsaidtheycouldmakeagoodvisitorcenter.Johndidn'tsayanything—justgruntednoncommittally.IblessedEdsilently—hecouldnothavesaidanythingbetter for us. I have always thought that was themomentwhen John decided towrite Commonweal into his bill as the best use for the RCA property, respectingcommunityconcernsandprecludingthevisitorcenter.As planned, TPL purchased the land and conveyed it to the Point Reyes NationalSeashore.Commonwealsigneda50-yearleaseon60acresoflandthatincludedthemainbuildings.Inaddition,Commonwealwouldhavea20-yearleaseonthegardensite, and a 10-year lease on all the remaining acreage, whichwas to be used forgrazingcattle,astockpondandBCPUDreservoirsite.Inlate1977,wemovedintothe1929RCAmainbuilding.Wehaddesks,telephonesandoldmanualtypewriters.Therewerenocopiers,faxmachinesorcomputers.By

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then, Commonweal had been incorporated as an official 501(c)3 non-profitorganization and the threeof us tookonnew roles: CarolynwasChairmanof theBoard,MichaelwasExecutiveDirectorand IwasDirectorofOperations. Itwasamildly terrifying prospect. We faced the staggering task of turning an old RCAantenna farm with a half dozen gutted buildings into a center for personal andplanetaryhealing.Thoughwehadjustmovedontothesite,Commonwealhadbeeninexistenceasanidea anda campaign for twoyears.Wehad supporterswhowereeager to seeusdeliver on our promise. The San Francisco Foundation was one of the mostimportant of these.MartinPaley, executivedirectorof the foundation, asked if hecouldvisitournewhome—thesuccessor tomytrailer.Wecouldhave justshownhimtheplace,butwewantedittolookatleastalittlebitlivedin,asthoughwewereactuallyinhabitingitandgoodthingsmightbehappeningthere.WeinvitedMartinandhiswife,Muriel,foratourofour“operations.”Wehadverylittlemoney,butIfoundhalfadozenbeautiful1920soakofficedesksand chairs plus desk lamps at BusVan in San Francisco—a great place for usedfurniturebargainsinthosedays.AlthoughMichael,SusanDunandIweretheonlyemployees,wesetthesixdesksupinthefourexistingofficesontheeastendofthesecondandthirdfloorsofthemainbuilding.WhenthedayoftheBigVisitarrived,mysisterandbrother-in-law,JoyceandJimSchnobrich,arrivedwithrefreshmentstohelphostthereceptionatourPotemkinheadquarters.Wepulleditalloffratherwell,andthePaleyswerepleasedwithwhattheysaw.TheinternalpressurewefelttoshowthatCommonwealwasinmotionbeganevenbefore we had acquired the site and moved into the RCA building. I saved aremarkablememoMichaelwroteme inSeptember1976,more thanayearbeforethePaleyscametovisit.Itencapsulatedour—andparticularlyMichael’s—visionforwhatwe’d accomplish in the comingyear.Thememo, a36-year-old time capsule,captures the Commonweal reality in 1976-77. But the memo, combined withhindsight, also reveals how Commonweal has evolved ever since. Whatevercollaborationtherehasbeeninthatprocess,andhowevermanypeoplehavebeenpartofit,Michael’sconsciousnesshasbeenthesingleconsistentfactorshapingtheoutcome.Aslong-timeCommonwealfriendandobserverJanetVisickhassaid,“TheevolutionofCommonwealisamysteryifonedoesn’tunderstandafewthingsaboutMichael.” Here’showMichael’s16-pagememobegan:

Burr: Ihave tried toorganizemythinkingonCommonweal inawaythatwecandiscussandsharewithCarolynandOrvilleaswemakedecisions.The overall situation appears tome to indicate that Commonweal is nowanexistingcenterinBolinasforserviceandresearchinhumanecology.Itdoesnotyethaveapermanentsite,butitexists.Ithasastaffandissettingitsgoalsand

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production priorities. It has approximately $200,000 to work with, and thegoodprospectofmore support.Thus the timehascome torecognize thatweexistandthatwenowmustbegintoplanandproduceefficiently.IwouldratethechancesofourgettingtheRCAsitenowatabout80%.Inordertogetitonthebestpossibleterms,wemustassumeatthispointthatwehaveitandthatweareplanningitsuse.SinceCommonwealnowexists,Ihavebeguntoaskmyselfwhywecannothaveall fourcomponentsofCommonweal functional inBolinaswhetherornotwegettheRCAland. Inotherwords, let'smakethecommitmenttodothewholeproject one way or another. The clinic and the research institute could behoused anywhere if it were necessary. As for the farm and the therapeuticcommunity,landandlivingspacearebothavailableifwestartsmall,whichwewouldwanttodoanyway—ahousewithsomelandaroundit,orahouseandlandseparately.I hope and expect that all thiswill in fact take place on RCA. But unlesswevisualizethewholepieceofworkassomethingweintendtogoforwardwith,andmake it clear to thoseweareasking for support thatall aspectswill goforward, then we don't generate the inner strength to make the project gothrough.Wearenot talkingofsomeenormousthingthatwilloverwhelmthetown.Perhapsonlysixresidentsinitially,ifwedidnothaveRCA.Thegamethatis being played here is finding a way to gear up flexibly to increasetheprobability thatweactuallygetandcan thendefend theRCAsite fromthosewhowilltrytotakeitaway.

Intheevent,wedidn’tpursueplanstostartthealternativeclinic,researchinstitute,farm,ortherapeuticcommunityanywherebutontheRCAproperty.Ourtimewasabsorbedbythecampaigntogetthelandfirmlyinhand.Ithadbeenpromisedtous,but there remained laborsbetweenusand theprize (slaying theHydra, cleansingtheAugeanstables,etc.weretasksthatMichaelandIsharedequally).Fundraising,primarilyMichael’sresponsibilitywasacontinuingdemandonourenergy.Andwebegan intensive site planning to understand in detail howwe wanted to use thebuildings and land and to prepare for another great labor—the County andCalifornia Coastal Commission permit processes, whichwerewithinmy purview,andwithoutwhichwecouldnotopenourdoors.TherealitywasthatMichaelandI—andSusanDunwhenshejoinedus—couldnotpossibly have prepared, simultaneously, for a Commonweal on the RCA site andanotherCommonwealat someother location. Instead,weputallourchipson thebet that we would acquire the RCA property and, with one exception describedbelow,focusedallourattentiononthatsite.The durablemessage of the opening paragraphs of Michael’s memowas that wewould succeed in creating Commonweal, and that visualizing it and having that

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confidencewould giveus the inner strength, reflected in our actions, towin localand broader community support, approach funders, and engage successfullywithanyopponents.Michael’sSeptember1976memocontinued:

VISIONFORAYEARFROMNOWLet us imagine Commonweal a year from now in terms of the visionwe aredevelopinghere.

And, following that, a section on each of the four sections of Commonweal—theclinic, research institute, therapeuticvillage,and farm.Here, slightlycondensed, isthesectionontheclinic.

CLINICWewould have a functioning clinic, probably out at RCA!What I foresee atpresentfortheclinicisaspacewherewehaveaclinicsetup,andwherealmostallofthelabworkisinitiallycontractedout.Wewouldcontractoutalotofthebloodwork,hairanalysis,andotherwork.Wewouldhaveanexcellentreferralsystem forpatientswhocame tous seekingcancervisualization therapy, etc..Weshouldbe thinking in termsof layingoutat least$30,000of the$50,000fromtheHaasFoundationbyearlyintheNewYear.Gettingtheclinicworkingwillbethehighestpriority.Staffwouldincludethemedicaldirectorandhisassociates,whowouldworkonstraight fees for services basis initially (medical director and support staff,secretary, lab tech, nurse, would be on salary; rest of possible medicalassociateswould be on fees for services). The clinicwould include consultingservice on where to go for other forms of therapy. We'd be seeing a mixedpopulation of children and adults with a variety of nutritional diseases orstress-relateddiseases.Probablyalsodoing some straightpediatrics forWestMarin—straightnutritionallybasedpediatrics.The clinic would be involved in one or more straight and careful researchprojects, for example the Office of Criminal Justice Planning-Youth Authoritystudyof thebiochemistryanddisorders of juvenilehall kids.Thiswouldbeamajor research project with a separate project director, and would be co-sponsored through Commonweal with the Growing Mind for delivery ofservices.Iwouldthinkwewould,organizationally,wantmonthlymeetingsoftheclinicandspecificassociatesondifferentmonthsthatincludedyou,me,themedicaldirector,perhapsthepersonwhoorganizationally ismakingtheclinictick(ifdifferent from the medical director), for policy decisions. I would think thatCarolynwouldbeinonthosemeetingsexofficioasshehadtimeandwantedto

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staycurrent.IwouldthinkthatwehavetobepreparedtoopentheclinicbyMarch1,1977(6 months after the date of Michael’s memo) in some form or other, or ourcredibilitywithSFFoundation·andotherswillbegintogodownthedrain.Fail-safedateforopeningwouldbeJune1(9monthsafterthememo)—absolutelyno later than that,and it ismy longexperience that toopenand functionbyJuneyoumuststarttoopen3monthsahead.Weshouldhaveamedicaldirectorby thisDecemberat the latest. Start looking for temporary clinic quarters inDecemberifRCAisnotthroughbythen.Clinicabsolutelymuststartup.Ingeneralontheclinic, I thinkwearegoingtohavetomovestronglyahead,pickinguptherightpeopleaswefindthem,puttingtheminplaceandlettingtheprocessweedoutthosewhoaregoingtoleaveandthosewhoaregoingtostay.Atpresent,Ibelievethewaytheclinicwouldworkatthestartisthatwewouldhave equipment to take blood samples, spin them down and freeze them fortransport to other labs.Wewould take blood, hair, do glucose tolerance, dosomesublingualallergytestsbutdomostofourallergytestingviaRASTtestfrombloodsample.Wewouldprescribediagnosticdiets,prescribefastsinsomecases.Wewouldprescribevitamins,minerals,etc.Wewouldreferoninformalbasisforacupuncture.Wewouldrefer(andmightstartdoingourselves)cancercases for visualization, andprescribenutritionalhere.Wewoulddo excellentstraightpediatricmedical,check-ups.Wewoulddofamilycounselingwork.Wewouldbepluggedintoreallyexcellentmassageworkforthosewhoneededit.We would do complete learning disabilities work-ups, using Full Circleresources (which is required by the existing Law Enforcement AssistanceAdministration grant to Full Circle, since we told themwe were starting anassociatedoutpatientservice).All of this is just a working gestalt for us to modify and proceed from, justvisualizationsowecanhoneitdown.Itisveryimportantthatwenotbefrightenedintotoogreataconservativenessonwhatweareproviding in theclinicbywhatour foundationsourcesmightthink.Anditisveryimportantthatwesetupaveryexcellentsystemofclinicalresearchsothatwecankeeptrackof,anddemonstrate,preciselywhatresultsfromdifferenttherapies.TheClinic,aboveall,shouldbeunderwayearlyinthenewyear(withscrew-ups,byearlyspring).

This was a broad-brush picture of the finished product, combined with minuteattentiontothedetailsthatMichaelhadfocusedonsofar,andalmostnosuggestionabout how all this would happen. Both the six-month and nine-month deadlineswere,ofcourse,impossiblyambitious.

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Again, there were core messages embedded in this vision for the clinic.Commonweal needed to open a clinic as soon as possible.We shouldn’t back offfrom our vision of how Commonweal should try to make a new contribution tohealth care. Most important: all the rigid-sounding imperatives in the firstparagraphswerereally“justaworkinggestaltforustomodifyandproceedfrom.”SusanDun and I, themain implementers in those first years, understood thatweneedn’tbeslavestothedetailsofThePlan.Wehadthelicensetofindtheoptimalpath,toreviseandimproviseasopportunitiesemerged,togetascloseaswecouldtotheheartofthevisionontheshortesttimelinewecouldmanage.Byand large, itwasaneasy collaborationamong the threeofus.One reasonwasthatThePlanwasonlythelatestplan.AsMichaelabsorbedtherealitiesthatSusanandIandotherswoulddiscover,therewouldbeanewplan.Andanotherplanafterthat.Eachonebecameclosertothefinalreality.Inretrospect,I’dsaytherewasanastonishingamountofimprovisation.WhatthoseofuswhoworkedwithMichaelcametounderstandwasthatheismostcomfortablewhenhehasaclearanddefiniteplan,evenwhentherestofusmightthinksuchaplanwaspremature.ButMichael’splanmightnotoutlivetheweekorthemonthbeforehe’dbeontothenextclearanddefiniteplanforgedfromchangingpossibilitiesandimperatives.Butasthedetailschanged,thecoreideasandcentraltruthsremained.Sometimesreallybigdetailschanged.Takingtheexampleoftheclinic,whatinthatsectionofMichael’sSeptember1976memocametofruition?CommonwealopenedaFamilyPracticeClinicindowntownBolinasinthefallof1977,littlemorethanayearafterthememo.Thatwasatributetoourabilityto improvise,plusSusanDun’swizardrywith impossiblehealthcarebureaucracies. There had been no mention of a Family Practice Clinic—it wasn’tpartoftheplanuntilPlanBorCormaybeD.We didn’t open the alternative clinic by June of 1977, of course. That “fail-safe”deadlinereallywasimpossible.WedidopenaclinicattheRCAsiteinthespringof1978,onlyayearandahalfafterthememo.Michael included similar sections on the research institute and the therapeuticcommunity,whichwere implementedwith even greater evolution than the clinicplans.ThelastsectionofMichael’smemoincludedthoughtsonhowCommonwealwouldfunctionandwhowoulddowhatoverthefollowingyearorso.Initssimple,almostnarrative exposition it reflects Michael’s familial rather than hard-core corporateorganizationalstyle:

ORGANIZATIONALTHOUGHTSHeneman,BrownandLernermeetmonthlyonregulardayatregularhourtoreview. Heneman and Lerner meet weekly and are then joined by Dun and

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others as they come for weekly conference. Heneman and Lerner take suchindependentactionsasarecalledforbydailylogicoftheirwork,checkingwitheach other as they proceed. As site director of on-site operations, Henemanexercises wide discretion with regard to development of agriculture, watersystem, therapeutic village, housing renovation, energy systems, budget,personnel.Additionally,Heneman is responsible for localand countypoliticalandcommunitycoverage,callingLernerinwhenneeded.Lernertakesprimaryresponsibilityfordevelopingtheresearchinstituteandthe(alternative)clinicas project person on these projects until they are organized, at which pointtheir normal operation shifts to Heneman, with Lerner focusing on policy,research,anddevelopmentquestionsinconjunctionwithHeneman.LernerandHenemanshiftoffonSacramentoandWashingtonstuffasneeded.Eachcoversfor other during vacations. Believe we should aim for three months totalvacation time per person, although in contact by phone, but able to leaveBolinasfortwomonthsatatime,withamonthoffatChristmas,withinthreeyears(‘tilthenprobablyhardertogetaway…Ifyouhearsomebodywhowantstogetawayforawhile...you'reright.)

Michael was absolutely right that it would be hard for us to get away for threemonthsofvacationayearinthefollowingthreeyears.Thatdidn’thappen.Michael’smemofocusedentirelyonourprogramaspirations,buttherewasanotherdaunting checklist to work through before we could open our doors. We hadinheritedmagnificent old buildings fromRCA. The ones that later became PacificHouse, BothinHouse, andKohlerHousewere derelicts built in 1914.Weweren’tcertain they were salvageable and would measure up to earthquake standardsadoptedlongafterthosebuildingswereconstructed.Itwasagreatreliefwhenourconsulting civil engineer, Jaspar Strandgaard, and retired Marin County ChiefBuildingInspectorHerbWimmerconfirmedourbetthattheycouldberehabilitated.TheMainBuildingwasnewer—1929—andstillinusebyRCA.Weweren’tworriedabouttheintegrityofthatmassive,reinforcedconcretestructure.Butithadonlyafewusableoffices; the restof itwas two large spaces crammedwith transmittersandtransformers.Inthespringof1977,SusanDunadroitlyacquiredCETAfundingto hire 16 high school students to dismantle the abandoned RCA equipment thatsummerunderMichaelRafferty’sgentlesupervision.

The1970swastheeraofthefederallysponsoredComprehensiveEmploymentandTraining Act programs, which provided funding to hire the unemployed.Commonweal became the largest CETA contractor in West Marin, hiringconstructionworkers,administrativestaff,gardenersandresearcherswith federalfunds.Foranumberofyears,wehadover40people,primarilystudents,workingthere torenovate theneglectedsiteanddilapidatedbuildings,andtorunthenewprogramswewerestarting.

While the kidswere clearing the two 58’x58’ rooms, local designer SteveMatson

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andIplannedthelayoutfortheclinicandoffices.Thatfallandwinter,aCETAcrewof unemployed carpenters, using our blueprint and a lot of donated and recycledmaterials,transformedthecavernousdownstairsspaceintoaclinic,completewithareceptionarea,waitingroom,offices,examrooms,libraryandapartiallyequippedlaboratory.The officeswere unusable unlesswe had safe, adequate and legal electric,water,andwastewater systems. Let’s just say that achieving each of thosewas anotheradventureonasitewherealltheinfrastructurewasmorethan50years-old.Puttingpipesandwiresandpartitionsinplacedidn’tgiveustherighttousethem.For thatweneeded a fewpermissions. Besides building, electrical, plumbing, andseptic tank permits, we needed a Use Permit from Marin County to operateprograms.TheCaliforniaCoastalCommissionwasthelastbighurdle.IthadtograntCommonwealapermit toexist intheCoastalZone.Allof thisrequiredustothinkthrough and commit to on paper all the infrastructure that Commonweal needednowandmighteverwanttohaveonthesite.Tomake the permit process as smooth as possible,weneededbroad support forCommonweal fromBolinasandourwidercommunities. Justbuilding thatsupportwasafull-timejobinatownthatisunderstandablysuspiciousofchange,especiallyon the neighboring 1,100 acres. Some townspeople opposed the southwardextensionof thePointReyesNationalSeashore; they justwantedRCA tostayandcontinue itsoperations.Somepeoplewonderedwhowewere,whatCommonwealwas,andwhyitshouldinheritthesite.In the end, therewas a gratifying outpouring of support andonly a fewvoices inopposition.Aswehadexpected,whatweproposedforprogramswasverymuchintunewithBolinas.AndwehelpedthecommunityunderstandthatRCAwasleaving,the National Park Service was coming—that was a done deal—and thatCommonweal, occupying the RCA buildings, would be the best possible bufferbetweentheSeashoreandthetown.As CarolynBrownhad anticipated, all of thiswas familiar territory tome.Allmyexperience was relevant: TV news producer, designer and builder of my home,participant inBolinas,NationalPark, andCaliforniaCoastalActplanning, andonememberofthesmallteamresponsibleforconstructionandenvironmentalplanningand permits for Christo’s massive Running Fence project. Getting Commonweallaunchedwasanimmensechallengeforourlittlegroup.Knowingthestepswehadtotaketogetthere—thatdancehadbecomesecondnaturetome.

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III.THECOMMONWEALCLINICByBrianBouch,M.D.

After graduating from theUniversity of PennsylvaniaMedical School, I took sometime off to go on a biking adventure throughout Europewithmywife, Anita.WeweresittingonahouseboatinAmsterdamwhenIgotacallfromanoldfriendfrommedicalschoolwhotoldmeaboutplansforanewstart-uphealthcliniclocatedinasmallcoastaltowninNorthernCalifornia.TheywerelookingforaMedicalDirectorwho was grounded in conventional Western medicine, but also interested inexploringholisticalternativetreatments.

A transatlantic introductory call with Michael Lerner led to an interview atCommonweal.Michaeltoldmeabouttheirplantoopentwohealthclinics—oneindowntownBolinas toserve localresidentsandtheotheratCommonweal toservechildren with neurological disorders and adults with chronic illness. I wasinterested, though a bit wary at some of the questions posed by the searchcommittee.Forinstance:“DidIthinkthattwoVirgos(Anitaandmyself)couldworkwellwithastaffcomprisedmostlyofCapricornsandSagitarians?”Notconcernedbypotential astrological incompatibility, I accepted the offer. I was intrigued by theopportunitytoexploretheburgeoninginterestinalternativemedicinethat,infact,wasthousandsofyearsoldandjustbeingrediscoveredintheUnitedStatesduringthe1970s.

In1977,AnitaandIstartedworkingattheCommonwealFamilyClinicindowntownBolinas. I became theMedicalDirector and shewas a Physician’s Assistant. I hadworked in family clinics before and was well versed in the practice of providingtraditional medical services to all ages. But I soon discovered that the localpopulation was unlike any group I had worked with before. Many townies weresuspicious, and even a bit paranoid: why would a bunch of Eastern-trainedintellectuals—“outsiders”—wanttoopenahealthclinicinasmalltownontheWestCoast?

IknewthatthementalinstitutionsinCaliforniahadbeenclosedintheearly1970sdue to a lack of funding. Many former patients found their way to small townsthroughout the state, including Bolinas. Peace-loving flower children and hippieshadalsomovedtotownandwerelivingundercardboardboxesonthebeach,intreehouses,andintheircars.Suspiciousatfirst,thelocalseventuallygotusedtousandbegan to wander into the clinic seeking medical care. We treated many routinecomplaints,everythingfromcolds,burnsandfootinfectionstoasthma,pneumonia,andbrokenribsfollowingalatenightbrawlatthelocalbar.Wedeliverednewbornbabiesathome—naturalchildbirth,ofcourse.Wewereoncall24/7andneverknewifwewouldbeawakenedbyamidnightcallreportingadrugoverdose.WegotusedtothehairpinturnsalongthewindingroadoverMt.TamalpaisaswetransportedpatientstotheEmergencyRoomatMarinGeneralHospital,45minutesaway.

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With theFamilyClinic up and running, efforts focusedonopening the alternativeclinicatCommonweal.Oncetherusty,oldRCAequipmenthadbeenclearedoutofthe first floor of the Main Building, the cavernous, dilapidated space wastransformed into a modern clinic, complete with a reception area, waiting room,offices,examrooms,libraryandapartiallyequippedlaboratory.

Inthespringof1978,theMesaClinicatCommonwealofficiallyopenedforbusiness.Iservedasaconsultanttoagroupofphysiciansprovidingtraditionalmedicalcare,aswellasalternativepractitionerswhospecializedinallergytesting,nutritionalandvitamin therapy, acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, meditation, guided imagery,andChineseherbalmedicine.Withsuchawidevarietyofspecialists,theClinicwasable to provide a comprehensive spectrum of integrative care for children withlearningandbehaviordisordersandadultswithchronicillness.Inanefforttotreatthe “whole person,” not just the symptoms, patients were encouraged to takeresponsibility for their own health through diet, stress reduction, relaxationtechniques,exercise,andtheexplorationofspiritualityintheirlives.

Wordspreadrapidly.TheClinicwassoonfilledwithtroubledyoungchildren,adultsfromWestMarin,andmanyotherswhohadcome“overthehill”seekingalternativecare.Throughclinicaltesting,wediscoveredthatmanyoftheadultshadundefinedillnesses and multiple chemical sensitivities. Most clients had already made theroundsseekinghelpfromconventionalphysicianswhocouldnotpinpointthecauseof illness,norprovideadequate relief for their symptoms.Wesuspected that as asocietywewere just beginning to experience the onset of stress-related illnesses,particularly among young people. We wondered if the increase in chronic anddegenerative diseases was related to the pollution of our environment and thecontaminationofour foodsupply.Lookingback, it’svery likelythatsomeof thoseillnesses were precursors of 21st century maladies, such as chronic fatiguesyndromeandfibromyalgia.IV.THECOMMONWEALRESEARCHINSTITUTEBySteveLernerIt has never been easy to find good work. In 1968 the VietnamWar was in fullflowerandmanyofmycollegefriendswereseekingsafehavensingraduateschooldeferments.IdecidedtotrymyhandatjournalisminNewYorkandlandedajobasa staff writer at the Village Voice. It wasn’t long before the local draft boardsuggestedthatIshouldinsteadfightawarIopposedinthe junglesofVietnam.AttheWhitehallArmy inductioncenter in lowerManhattan, I foundmyself ina longlineofmenbeinggivenmentalandphysicalexaminations.Attheendofthe line, Iwas told that I was in the Army. I politely noted that no one had looked at mymedical records that I had broughtwithme documenting problems I hadwith akneethathadbeenoperatedontwice.IwastoldIhadachoice:Icouldjointhearmyorgotoprison.IdeclinedtheoffertojointheArmy.

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Along with two other young men, I was told to sit on a bench while 500 otherrecruitswereprocessed.Aftereveryoneelsehadleft,Iwasorderedtocomebackintwoweekstoappearbeforeaboardofmedicalexaminers.Oneoftheotheryoungmenwithmewasobeseandwasinformedthathedidnotqualifyforthemilitary.Heweptonthewaydownintheelevator.Twoweekslater,Iwassubjectedtoasecondphysicalandwasawardedamedicaldeferment. Itwasamomentof intense relief.At the same time itwasclear tomethatmanyotheryoungmenwithdisabilities,asbadorworsethanmine,hadbeenshippedoff to fight inVietnam.Thedifferencebetweenuswasthat Icamefromaprivilegedbackground,hadgonetoeliteschools,andfeltconfidantthatIcouldsayno.Sure, itwasscarytostanduptoauthorityandfacethepossibilityofprisonorexiletoCanada,butIknewthatifIgotintroubletherewouldbeattorneystoarguemycase.Fortunately,IwassparedfacingprisonorsneakingacrosstheborderintoCanada.But thepointwasdrivenhome that the systemwasunjust and rigged infavoroftheaffluent.Thus it was that having participated in (and reported on) protests against theVietnamWar in Boston, New York, andWashington, D.C. and having avoided thedraft, Iwasinnomoodto joinoneoftheEstablishmentjobsforwhichIhadbeeneducated.Ihadbecomeacard-carryingmemberofacounter-culturalarmyofyoungpeoplewho,disaffectedfromthepowerstructure,werelookingforalternativewaystomakealiving.ForthenextsevenyearsItraveledoverlandtoAsia,wroteabookaboutmyjourney(still unpublished),moved to Vermont as part of the back-to-the-landmovement,andbegancuttingfirewood,growingfood,andbuildingmyownhomeonaten-acreparcelofmountainthatanartistfriendhadgivenme.Tomakemoney,Iworkedinatoolfactory,pottery,orchard,andasacarpenter.IwaslivinginVermontin1975,inahouseIbuiltoutofrecycledbarnwood,whenmybrother,Michael,cametovisitandaskedifIwouldliketomovetoCaliforniaandwork at Full Circle as a counselor to young people with learning and behaviordisorders.Theideaintriguedme.IhaddiscoveredthatIcouldekeoutasubsistencelivingontheland,butwasstilllookingforajobthatwouldpermitmetoengageinwhatIlooselyconsidered“rightlivelihood.”Workingwithtroubledkidssoundedasifitwereintheballpark,soIjumpedatthechance,packedmytoolsinmyjeepanddrovetoBolinas.ThejobatFullCirclewasnoteasierthanpruningappletreesinwaist-deepsnowinVermont. One essential aspect of the job entailed keeping the kids from hurtingthemselves, each other, members of the staff or community, destroying stuff, orrunningaway.Wealsoengagedthekidsinpositiveprojectsdevisedtoteachthemeducational and coping skills. Unfortunately, I was not a natural authority figure.SomeofthekidsweremysizeorbiggerandwerenotallthatimpressedwhenItold

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them to stop doing idiotic stuff. Part of our training involved the non-violentrestraintofthesekidsinanunlockedfacility.Thattranslatedintotakingthekidtothecarpetedfloorasgentlyaspossibleandphysicallyrestraininghimsohecouldnothurthimself,amemberofthestafforanyoneelseuntilhelparrived.Thereweretime-out roomsandavarietyof incentives forkidsnot to “actout,”but I came todreadthemomentwhenIwouldhavetocontrolakidphysically.Othersweregoodatit.Ihatedit.OneofmylastdaysonthejobIfoundmyselfrestrainingaboywhowasbothstrongandathleticandwholookedstrikinglylikeDennistheMenace.Hehadbeenallowedtoadoptadogas itwasthoughtthiswouldhelptamethewilder impulses inhim.WhenIwrestled“Dennis”totheground,hecalledhisdoganditpromptlybitmeintheeyebrow.AweeklaterIwasoutofFullCirclehavingdecidedthatIwasnotcutout forcounselingdelinquentyoungpeople. Iadmiredthosewhocoulddothe jobgracefully,butIknewIwasnotoneofthem.Asithappened,mybrotherMichael,CarolynBrown,BurrHeneman,andSusanDunwereplanningtoopenCommonwealandIsignedonasageneralgo-fer.Myfirstjobwas working with Burr and a local crew of day laborers, building a barbed-wirefencearoundawatershedsowecouldcreateareservoirofwaterforCommonwealthatwasfreeofcowpoop.SubsequentlyIworkedonacrewdisassemblingsomeoftheoldradioequipmentandbuildingoffices.Wedidwhateverneededtobedoneandwerehappytobebuildinganenvironmentalhealthcenter.ThiswaspartoftherealityofworkingatCommonweal.Therewasnojobsecurity.We survived from one grant to the next. Furthermore, in the early days, salariesweremodestatbest.Yougottodointerestingwork,butwewerenotpaidalot.Toeconomize,Ifirstlivedonthebackofatruck.MylivingroomwasSmiley’sSchoonerSaloon in downtownBolinas. I cooked over a hotplate and gotmywater illegallyfromagardenhose.FriendscameoverandusedanoutdoorshowerIhadriggedup.Potlucks were the way we fed ourselves. The “Freebox” in downtown Bolinasprovidedaneclecticwardrobe.Welivedonthecheap.Thiswentonforyears.Whilemyofficial titleatCommonwealwas “Directorof theResidentCommunity,”sincetherewasnoresidentcommunity,anditlookedliketherewouldn’tbeoneforanumberofyears, Istartedwritingaboutenvironmental issues,which I feltwerenot adequately covered in themainstreammedia. No one toldme to do it. I juststarted doing it and Commonweal later adopted the project. A lot of work atCommonwealgotstartedinthisfashion.IhadreadabookbyLesterBrownentitledTwenty-NineDays.Thebookfocusedonthe accelerating deterioration of the ecosystems on which all life depends. Itscentralmetaphorwasthatasinglelilypadinapondcouldreplicategeometricallyuntil29dayslaterhalfthepondwascovered.Therewasstillplentyofopenwateron the29th day, but on the30th itwouldbe completely covered. The authorwasmakingthepointthatthereisaparalleltippingpointforenvironmentaldegradation

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whereecosystemsare incrementallypoisonedorpavedoveruntil,allofasudden,theyreachthepointofcollapse.This notion appealed to my apocalyptic penchant and I went to Washington tointerview Lester Brown. I then began researching stories on chemical andradioactive contamination, noise pollution, the dangers of microwaves, speciesextinction,deadzones,indoorairpollutionandfarmworkerssickenedbypesticidesIstartedoutsmall,typingupmystoriesonanOlivettitypewriterIhadbroughtbackfrommytravels inAsia. Iwouldtypeupthestory,glue itonapieceofpaperandwhenIhadabunchofstoriesI’dcopyandstaplethemtogetherandbegintopeddlethem to friends and through local outlets. I called the series “Working Papers.”Demandforthemwaslessthanspectacular.Meanwhile,mysocial lifewasbeginning tosufferasa resultofmymonomaniacalfocusonenvironmentalthreatstopublichealth.IwouldgotothehomesoffriendsandregalethemwithstoriesaboutthebannedpesticidesintheirGuatemalanroastcoffeebeans,thepesticidesontheirapples,theformaldehydeout-gassingfromtheplywoodsubfloor.Tomyastonishment,Iwasoftennotaskedback.Somewitcameupwith themoniker “Grim Reaper” forme and pretty soon Iwas greeted in thestreetsofBolinasas“Reap.”Youwouldthinkthiswouldhaveadeterrenteffect,butIremainedconvincedthattheproblemposedbytheover-useoftoxicchemicals, their inadequateregulation,andthecriminallynegligentway inwhichtheyweredisposedwasnotgettingtheattention it deserved. So we began to publish Common Knowledge: A QuarterlyJournal and Environmental Threat to Public Health. When CETA funds becameavailablefromthefederalgovernment,Ihiredsixlocalresidentswhowerelivingintoolshedsandcardboardlean-tostoworkwithmeonresearchingandwritingthejournal.The Research Institute, which I now directed, also published monographs on anumberof subjects including clinical ecology,nutrition, juvenile justice, andothertopicsofinteresttovariouspeopleworkingwithCommonweal.Wewereeducatingourselves, as we collected information about environmental threats to health, aswell as new technologies in health care and disease prevention. Our primaryconcernwastofindoutifwhatpeopleweredoingtotheenvironmentwouldaffectthe survival of humans and other species. We presented research being donethroughout the country on the potentially damaging health effects of ultravioletradiation, oil spills, lead poisoning, electromagnetic smog, smoking, chlorinatedwater, estrogen drugs, flame retardants in children’s sleepwear, cholesterol, highvoltagepower cables, foodpreservatives, airpollution, ozonedepletionandmuchmore.As one of the first newsletters in the country that focused on toxins in theenvironment, Common Knowledge began to attract national attention for our

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comprehensive,objectivereportingasweraisedanumberofprovocativequestionsineachpublication.- Do Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), which are present in most Americanhouseholds, leadtonumbnessof the limbs, temporary lossofvision,miscarriages,andevencancer?-Whyisdioxin,achemicaldescribedbytheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyas“perhaps themost toxic smallmolecule known toman,” turning up in samples ofmothers’breastmilk?-Hasthetremendousincreaseinsugarconsumptionledtoincreasedhyperactivityinchildren?Isitlinkedtotheincreaseinjuvenilediabetes?- Should theuseof antibiotics bebanned in animal feed?As early as the1970s,criticsof“medicatedfeed”suggestedthatbyexposingthepopulationatlargetolowlevel doses of antibiotics, certain strains of bacteria would become resistant andsubsequentlyhardertocombat?-What is the long-term effect of dumping “low level” radioactive wastes at theFarallonIslands,locatedjust22milesoffthecoastofBolinas?WepublishedphotosoffishswimminginandoutofcrackedopenbarrelslyingonthebottomoftheseaneartheFarallonIslands,whichwerevisible,onaclearday,outmywindowatCommonweal.MostofthematerialsdisposedofattheFarallonscontained contaminated research equipment, dead laboratory animals, and otherradioactive residue of the Manhattan Project which spawned the atom bombsdroppedon Japanat theendofWorldWar II. Inaneditorial, Iwrote: “Theoceanflooris,ofcourse,ahandystoragearea.Bestofall,whatweputthereisoutofsightandoutofmind.Soon,however,wewillbeeatingoffthatoceanfloor,suckingupthemanganese nodules that are the food of the future. There is no way to sweepPlutoniumundertherug.”Ina1979editorialinCommonKnowledge,Ivoicedmydeepconcern:“Keepingtoxicwasteoutof theenvironment isamatterofpublichealth. In trying tounderstandthe life cycle of toxic chemicals, we realize that it is critical to ensure ‘cradle tograve’regulationofhazardouswaste.Weneedtobuildanobjective,scientificcaseagainstthosewhopolluteourworldandholdthemresponsible.”V.WRITINGFORCOMMONWEALByFrancineAllenIn1977,I’d justreceivedamaster’sdegreeinCreativeWritingatSFSU,mygenre:poetry.Mypoet/professorsilluminatedthestepsalongthepathofbecomingalate20th century poet: self-publish chapbooks, apply for grants, do as many publicreadingsasonecould,geta jobsomewhere to teach “thecraft” toyoungerpoets.No,I thought.No,no.Thenotionofdoingthattomysoulrepelledme.Andyet, Irealized,Ididwanttowrite.ItseemedtheonethingIcoulddo.Diddo.

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I began freelancing articles about the environment and the threats it faced. Theysold,butIrealizedIcouldnevermakealivingthatway.Bythistime,IhadmovedtoInverness(Inwardness,Icalledit).Atnight,ItypesetthePointReyesLight.AndI’dbecome a West Coast correspondent to The National Fisherman. SomeonementionedthatanonprofitinBolinashadwrittenabouta“radioactivedumpsite”offtheFarallons.That,Idecided,wasmynextstory.IcalledCommonwealandwasconnectedtoStephenLerner,whosoundedgenuinelysurprisedbymyinterestintheradioactivespongestory.Andso,thenextmorning,havingdrivenfromInvernessthroughOlemaValleywhich,duringthetwoyearsofmyupcomingdailycommute Iwouldsilentlycall “thePalmofGod,” Ientered thedank gray coastal air and, at last, stared up at the glum cement edifice:Commonweal.Thebuildingwassurroundedbysoggy,pitiful,neglected lawn,halfrottedjadeplant—all inall,profoundlydreary.Upacementvestibulethatechoedsadly “elementary school”, or worse, “high school,” I found Stephen and JaneBorchers, each seated in frontof anelectric typewriter,next toanelectricheater,cozy in their large corner office warmed as well by desk lamps, floor to ceilingbooks,anorangeshagcarpet,andtwohugeoldwoodendesks.Stephen, the “Director of Research and senior editor of Common Knowledge: AJournal of Health, the Environment, and Technology,” got up from his desk: acharming, genial guy with a Jewish Afro wearing baggy tan cords and a button-down,longsleevedblueshirtthathemighthavegottenwhenhelefthomeforprepschool.HegraciouslyintroducedmetoJane,andthenliftedabig,fat,messymanilafolderthatheld,withinit,manyothermessyfolderswhichhecarried,mefollowing,intotheroomwhere,hesaid,Iwaswelcometowork.It was a profoundly empty, huge gymnasium of a room with concrete floor andwalls,andaceilingmorethantwostorieshigh.Voices,footsteps,thefolderthathedropped on the table—echoedmetallic and hollow. Stephen commented happilythatitwassomuchbetternowthatthePCBtaintedequipmentfromtheRCAdayshadbeenremoved.I triedfindingcomfortonthemetal foldingchair.Alone,Ireadandtooknotesforhours,while,everyonceinawhile,Stevecameintocheckonmeandrefillmymugwithhotherbaltea.The next day, while I continuedmy research, Stephen brought in the director ofCommonwealInstitute,hisbrotherMichael.Ihadnotknownwhoorwhatsatorlayin the crevices of the building that surroundedme, but it had seemed completelyemptyandsilentexcept for Jane,Steveand the receptionistwhosat in somethingcalled the “outpatient clinic” down below. Like Steve, Michael was so cordial.Gracious. The brothers spoke in the hollowness of the roomand I listened to thebeautifultimbreoftheirvoices,theclarityandeaseoftheirdiction.Whoweretheseguys?

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They asked how much I made writing my articles for The National Fisherman.WhenIadmittedtoreceivingapennyperword, theyofferedtopaymemore if—when I showed them the article I waswriting—and they determinedmywritingskillswereacceptable.And so I began working as an Associate Research Editor in the CommonwealResearch Institute. My salary was paid for two years by the CETA program (thefed’sComprehensiveEmploymentandTrainingAct).ItwasthebestjobIhaveeverhad: the people, the freedom, our goals and values, and the setting (but not thephysicalplant).Ilearnedtowritebetter,todolayout,tousetheEPAlibraryinSanFrancisco and to interview high-level government officials and scientists withoutfear. I wrote about so many different things: epidemiology and cancer, bottledwater,thehealtheffectsofovercrowdinginprisons.OnceItunedintoKPFAduringaprogramspecificallyforSanQuentinprisonersandheardmy“overcrowdingandstress in prisons” story read aloud to them. I think Imay havewept. Okay, I didweep.Irememberhow,inthemidstofour“GenotoxinSurveyProject,werealizedthatin20or30years,wewouldwitness,andexperience,anupsurgeofcancerinhumansex organs—prostate and breast cancer. All of us felt cursed with Cassandracomplex—andIbeganto feelas ifwewerecounting theways inwhich theworldwascomingtoanend.Steve,JaneandIrecognizedweneededtobecome“solution”ratherthan“problem”orientedinourwork.And just about then, the funding ran out. Publication of Common Knowledge,Commonweal’squarterlyjournal,ceased.IwasexposedtowonderfulpeopleandinformationwhileworkingatCommonweal.WilliamCambier andAvisRappaport,who transformed an overgrazed sand duneinto the Commonweal Garden, taught occasional lessons that carried the deepknowledge they’d gained as students of Alan Chadwick—approaches and insightsintoGaiathatIcarriedintomyowngarden,aswellasthethreeyearsoffreeorganicvegetable gardening classes I organized for theTomalesBay community.Michaelperiodically graceduswith lunchtime seminars featuringhis friends. I rememberMichaelMurphyandSamKeentestingout their thoughtsonthestaff. (Obviously,these afternoons were forerunners to The New School.) The cancer residentialtreatment program was a dream still in labor. The outpatient clinic providedesoterictreatmentssuchaschelationtherapyandthedetectionoffoodallergiesandenvironmentalsensitivities.WewatchedCarolynBrownandMichaelworkontheirgoalsfortheFullCirclePrograminDogtown.IhadmyfirstacupuncturetreatmentfromJaneTang.And then I was no longer at Commonweal. I carried forward, however, theexperienceandskillsIhadgained,firstbecomingaprogramevaluatorforafamilyfoundation. Then I decided to write a book length manuscript, hoping the three

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months of research I regularly undertook to write a single Common Knowledgearticle provided adequate preparation.Whenmymanuscript didn’t sell,my timespent at Commonweal provided the uncommon chutzpah to sellmypiano, layoutthe manuscript myself, commission illustrations, and self-publish it. (Ten SpeedPressthenpurchasedthecopyrightandeventuallysoldover40,000copies.)In1986, I didwhat I neverplanned todo. I began teachingnon-fictionwriting atCollegeofMarin.And,inthesummerof2012,Iretired.Duringthelasttwoyears,I’vereturnedfrequentlytoCommonweal.Theevolutionof theplant is amazing.Noone sitting at aNewSchool event orwalking about abeautifullyhungartexhibitcouldeverimaginehowemptyandcoldthatspacewasin1977.Orsittingontheoutsidedeck,howdrabtheexterior.Nowadays,aspartoftheaudience,IamastonishedbyMichael’s(andtheWizard’smanyapprentices)tenacity.Byhowsteady,positive,skillfulworkbreatheslifeintoanintricate,extendedsystemofcreative,positiveenergy.Duringthelasttwoyears,I’vededicatedmyselftoyogapractice.Oneofmyteachersoften reminds us what “Namaste” means: the deepest part of me bows to thedeepestpartofyou.WhenIworkedatCommonweal,Ididnotyethaveanameforthat spirit, but I recognizenow it iswhatwesilentlybreathed together, the spiritthatinformedoureffort.Commonwealisthesame,butsogrown-up.VI.THECOMMONWEALGARDENByMichaelLernerInthespringof1976,BurrHenemanandIdroveuptoCoveloinNorthernCaliforniatovisittheFrenchbiodynamicgardenonRichardWilson’sranch. Thegardenhadbeen created by Alan Chadwick, a mythic gardener, Shakespeare scholar anddevoteeoftheAustrianmysticRudolfSteiner.We had heard about two of Chadwick’s students—William Cambier and AvisRappaport. We wanted to interview them as possible stewards for theCommonwealGarden.Fromthemomentwemet,Iwastakenbythem.Williamwasa slight, bearded and quietly intense young man. Avis was a radiantly beautifulyoungwoman,anativeofMarinCounty.Notlongafter,WilliamandAvismovedtoBolinastoestablishtheCommonwealGarden.“When we arrived at Commonweal,” Avis recalled, “we spent much of our timewalking the property, exploring every canyon in the 1,100 acre parcel of land,looking for just the right place to start a garden. At the time, the hills had been

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heavilygrazed,hundredsoftransmittingpolesstilltoweredovermuchofthelandandthewindblewfiercelyacrossthelandscape,withfewtreestoprovideshelter.ButWilliamand I loved it.Theair, theocean, the springs and the landoffered somuchopportunityandpromise.Wedecidedtosettleinasouth-facingcanyononthenorthsideofMesaRoad.Thesunexposurewasideal,amaturerowofcedarswasalreadyinplacetohelpblockthecoastalwinds,andtherewereseveralsprings inandaroundthevalley.Wefixedupanoldhunter’scabinsowecouldliveon-siteinthegarden.”WilliamandAvisbroughtwiththemthevisionaryteachingsofAlanChadwick,whohad been inspired by Rudolph Steiner’s celestial philosophy of theinterconnectednessbetweenalllifeforms.“Chadwick’swholeviewofthegardener,”Avisexplained,“wasthatweareheretogivebackmorethanwetake.Theearthcanproduce everything thatwe need. There is a sense of chaos in theworld and thegardener’s job is tobringorder intothegarden.What isreal isgrowingyourownfood,storingyourownfood,relyingonthesuntoriseeverydayandtheseasonstochange throughouteveryyear. InChadwick’sphilosophy, to relyand invest in theearth’secologyforwarmth,safetyandfoodwasthetruenatureofeconomics.”During their firstyear in thegarden,WilliamandAvisbegan togrowfood incoldframes they built out of recycled greenhouse panels. As the years went by, thegardenexpandedfroma50x100footplotto11/2acresofintensivebedsandfouracresoffieldcrops.Theycreatedanheirloomfruitorchard,filledwithapple,pear,peach and plum saplings. They planted hundreds of Monterey pine and cypresstrees as windbreaks to protect crops from wind and increase productivity. Theyinstalledawindmilltopumpwateruphillfromthereservoirtotheholdingtank—atowering20,000-gallonredwoodbarrel.Theylaidover6,000feetofirrigationpiperunningfromthereservoirthroughthegardenandadjacentfields.“Everythingweusedforthegardeninfrastructurewasrecycledfromotherprojects,”saidAvis.“Webuiltthegardenwiththehelpofhundredsofvolunteersandfarmapprentices.Wetaught them how to grow crops organically, using techniques that minimizedrelianceonoff-siteresourcesandmaximizedgardenoutputs.”ThegardenflourishedunderAvisandWilliam’sgreenthumbsandnurturingcare.Withintwoyears,thegardenwasproducingenoughfruitandvegetablestofeedtheentire Commonweal community,with plenty of surplus thatwas sold at the localfarmstandinBolinas.Visitorssteppingthroughtherusticwoodengateforthefirsttimewereamazedat thebeauty,profusionandserenityof thegarden.Onevisitorobserved that: “Flowers and vegetables carefully planted together in beds on asouthernslopeallowedadequatedrainageandmaximumexposuretothesun.Theresultwas someof thebiggestheadsof lettuce,plumpest raspberriesandsaucer-sizeddahliasevergrownalongthechillyMarincountycoast.”WilliamandAvisweremarriedwhilelivingatCommonwealGarden.Undertheroofoftheirgardencottage,Avisgavebirthtotheirson,Sylvan.TheproudnewparentswereoftenspottedpushingSylvanupanddownthedirtpathsinawheelbarrowas

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they farmed the land. Reflecting back on their tenure at the Garden, Williamrecalled:“someofthemostspecialtimesinthegardencenteredaroundcommunitygatherings—solsticeandequinoxcelebrations,poetryreadings,meditationretreatsand much more. At one memorable summer solstice event, we pit-roasted a pigwrapped inherbsandgardenvegetablesand invited thewhole towntocomeandparty.Andwhatacelebrationitwas!Boliniansarrivedbycar,byfoot,bybicycleandbyhorsetofeastandrevelinCommonwealGardenonthelongestdayoftheyear.”VII.BEGINNINGTORENOVATETHERETREATCENTERByMichaelLerner

Intheancientworld,therewereAsclepianhealingcenters—namedinhonoroftheGreekgodofmedicineAsclepius—scatteredthroughoutGreeceandalongthecoastofwhat isnowTurkey. Patientswouldgo there to restand toawaitdreams thatwouldguidethecourseoftheirhealingjourney.MywifeSharyleandIvisitedtheruins of one such center inTurkeyon a freezing springdaywhen the ruinswerecoveredwithsnowandiceforthefirsttimein20years.CommonwealisinthelineageoftheAsclepiancentersinourhealingwork.Forover30years,peoplehavecometo theCancerHelpProgram insearchofavision thatwill guide theirhealing. Only the formshavechanged. Themission—discoveringtheinnervoiceoftheauthenticself—remainsunchanged.Manyothercountriesregardplacestorestandrestorehealth—spasandthelike—asintegraltotheirhealthcaresystems.OurearliestintentionincreatingaResidentCommunity—which we later renamed the Retreat Center—was to provide apeaceful,nurturingenvironmentwherepatientswithchronicillnesscouldcometoheal.The renovation of the three residences in the Retreat Center took many years.Bothin House, a rustic, 70-year-old cottagewith a red tile roof nestled in a largegroveofMontereypineandcypresstrees,wasfinallyreadyforoccupancyin1981.The grove extended over 100 yards from the cottage to the edge of the cliffsoverlookingthePacificcoast,protectingBothinHouseandtheRetreatCenterfromthewinds thatoftenblewoff theocean.After sixyearsofplanning,Commonwealwasreadytowelcomeourfirstvisitors—peoplewhowereseekingaplacetoheal,to re-create themselves, or simply a place to stay while working with the staff.BothinHouseofferedapeacefulrespiteforthoseseekinguninterruptedsilenceanda quietly dramatic immersion in the magnificent wilderness of the Point ReyesNationalSeashore.Not long afterBothinHousewas finished, Iwrote to theCommonweal board andothersupporters.Lookingbackoverthepriorsixyears,Ireflectedontheprogresswehadmadeasafledglingnon-profitorganization.Iwrote:

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“Aprolificbiodynamicgardenhastakenrootonthesite.Wehaveplantedalmost1,000youngtreestoreforestthedenudedland.Wehaverestedtheland,longovergrazedbytoomanycattle.Wehaveputcommunitypeopletoworkeducatingthemselvesandothers inanewkindofresearch institute.We have opened two clinics—one to serve our rural community and onethathasalreadymadeagreatdifferenceinthelivesofsomechildren,andmaytouchthelivesofmanymoreintheyearstocome.”In this strange landscapeofantiquated radio transmitters, on the siteofthe oldMarconi-RCA antenna farm, at the very westernmost edge of thecountry,anewkindofinstitutionisstrugglingintoexistence.YounowhearechoesofCommonwealupanddowntheWestCoastandacrossthecountry.It is not unreasonable to imagine that Commonwealwill be knownby itsexample,itsserviceanditswordsintheyearstocome.”

VIII.CRISISANDREBIRTHByMichaelLerner

Six years had passed since the day I looked out across the grasslands and saw avisionofCommonweal.Nowourcoreprogramswerethriving.Wewereunawareofthedarkcloudsloomingoverus.1981-1982 was a year of crisis for me and for Commonweal. My father wasdiagnosedwithcancer.MymarriagewithLeslieended—thoughweweretoremaingoodfriendsforlife.Mydogdied.AndwecameveryclosetolosingCommonweal.

After a promising start, Commonweal faced a crisis as our funding sourcescollapsed.TheCETA(ComprehensiveEducationandTrainingAct)federalcontractthat enabled us to employ 40 local people ended. At the same time, the SanFrancisco Foundation, amajor source of our funding, decided that Commonwealwasnolongerofinterest.IwasforcedtolayoffvirtuallytheentireCommonwealstaffof40people,includingmy brother Steve and myself. The only remaining paid staff were the businessmanagerand the receptionist.TheMesaClinic closed.TheResearch Institute shutitsdoors.Burrhadmovedon inearly1980tobecomeExecutiveDirectorofPointReyesBirdObservatory.CarolynandIcontinuedtoworkwithoutsalaries.The largeMainOfficeBuilding, the size of a small gymnasium, felt cavernous andempty. The Commonweal Board of Directors lost faith in my capacity to leadCommonweal. It looked as if thewhole enterprisewould fail—a fool’s errand forwhich I bore responsibility. We were hanging on by a thread and struggling tosurvive.

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AFamilyCrisisInthemidstofthediresituationatCommonweal,Iwasfacingapersonalcrisis.Myfather, a vibrant 77-year-old political philosopher named Max Lerner, wasdiagnosedwithalargecelllymphoma.Whenpressedforaprognosis,theoncologistguessedthathemighthaveayeartolive.Iknewhowdevastatingchemotherapycouldbe.Iwonderedifthetreatmentwouldbeworthit.Ialsowonderedifalternativecancertherapiescouldhelp.Forthepastsevenyears,Ihadbeenimmersedinthestudyofalternativetreatmentsfortroubledchildren and adults with chronic illness. I knew little about complementarytherapies for cancer, but I did know that mainstreammedicine considered thempurequackery.Determinedtoexploreanypossibleoptionthatmighthelpmyfather,Iundertookanextensivestudyofalternativecancertherapies.ItraveledacrosstheUnitedStates,toMexico, theBahamas,Europe, Indiaand Japanexploringcomplementarycancertreatments. I never imagined that I was embarking not just on a brief survey ofalternative cancer therapies, but on a journey of healing work with people withcancerthatwouldspanmorethanathirdofacentury.WhenIdecidedtoexplorealternativecancertherapies,therewasnoreliablemapofthefield.Intheearly1980s,therewasavastdivideinmainstreammedicalattitudestoward complementary and alternative medicine. An interest in alternativetherapies for learning and behavior disorders of children, or asthma, orhypertension, or even heart disease was considered eccentric and professionallyrisky,butnonethelesstolerable.Butalternativecancertherapieswereinaculturalcategoryoftheirown.Theywereindeliblymarkedwiththestampofquackery.Evenshowing interest in these therapies was officially beyond the pale. I was acutelyawareofhowdangerousthe investigationofalternativecancertherapiescouldbebothformyselfandforCommonweal.Alternativecancertherapieswerethe“thirdrail”intheworldoftraditionalWesternmedicine. It appeared to some of my advisors and Board Members that I wascompounding Commonweal’s dire financial crisis by wanting to step into thisforbiddenterritory.Iwasputtingnotonlymyreputation,butalsotheirgoodwillontheline,andriskingthefaithoftheentirecommunityofCommonweal’ssupporters.WhydidIpersist inwantingtoexplorethesealternativecancertherapies?Icouldhave tried to help my father with these therapies quietly—and not made thisexploration the focus of my professional life. The arguments against studyingalternative cancer therapieswere especially sensible at this perilous time. I knewthatmanycareershadfounderedontherocksofalternativecancertherapies.ButasIlookbackonmylife,ithasbeenmarkedmostdecisivelybyintuitionsthatledmetomakedecisionsthatdefiedlogic—thechoicetoleaveYale,tobuildFullCircle,and

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tofoundCommonweal.ButeachtimeImadeoneoftheselogic-defyingchoices,Ididitwiththegreatestcareandforethoughtpossible.So, if I was going to take this dangerous step, I would chartmy pathwith everyounce of strategic acumen I couldmuster. I truly believed that itwas possible topursue an objective study of unconventional cancer therapieswithout destroyingmy career or further damaging Commonweal. I sincerely did not have a stake inwhetherthealternativetherapiesworkedornot.IknewthatIwasonshakygroundinpursuingthispath,butonceagain,Ifeltcompelledtofollowmyintuition.My father never used any of the complementary cancer therapies that I exploredwith the hope of helping him. He underwent rigorous chemotherapy thatundoubtedly saved his life. He experienced a remarkable recovery from thelymphoma,andamoreremarkablerecoveryfromaseconddiagnosisofmetastaticprostate cancer. He lived for another 12 years—not six months. Max Lernerdeclaredhimself“triumphant”inwritingWrestlingwiththeAngel,abookabouthispersonalhealingjourneythatTheNewYorkTimesreviewercalled“thebestoftheillnessmemoirs.”1 My father lived to the age of 89. He died peacefullywith hisfamilybyhisside.Iseenow,soclearly,thatmyfatherwasteachingmeaninvaluablelessonashelivedwith his illness. Through all the struggles of his last 12 years—chemotherapy,cancer, a heart attack—my father tenaciously clung to life with an unwaveringstrengthandvigor,whollybefittingtheimmigrantchildwhohadfoughtallhis lifeforwhathewanted.Itreasuremyfather’slastlessontomeasthegreatestgiftofall:he demonstrated the power and triumph of the human spirit in all itsmagnificence—inlivingandindying.Ihavecometotreasuresomethingelseaboutmyfather. Hedidnotseekto livea“spiritual” life. Hewasanagnostic,asecularman. Buthesoughtto livefully. Heurgedhisbiographer,SanfordLakoff,towriteabiographythatdepictedhim“wartsandall.”Myfatherssoughttobefullyhuman.HowYogaSavedMyLifeAttheheightofthislifecrisis,afriend,ayoungphysiciannamedSandraMcLanahan,invitedmetoCharlottesville,VirginiatomeetSwamiSatchitananda,anIndianyogateacher who had gained fame at Woodstock. As the founder of Integral Yoga,Swamijihad just establishedanewashramcalledYogavilleonahighbluffwithasweepingviewoftheJamesRiver.Thecommunitywasunderconstructionandmostoftheashramiteswerelivingintrailers.

1 MaxLerner,WrestlingwiththeAngel:AMemoirofMyTriumphOverIllness(NY:Norton,1990),25.

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IwaitedtomeetSwamijiinoneofthosetrailersonamuggyAugustafternoon.Thedoorwasopenedbyatall,slender,imposinglookingmandressedinanorangerobe.With a longwhite beard and flowingwhite hair, Swamiji looked like a yoga gurusentfromHollywoodCentralCasting.Ihadseenphotographsofhim,buttheycouldnotconveythegracewithwhichhemovedandtheabsolutepeacethatsurroundedhim. Over tea, Swamiji askedmewhat Iwas seeking in life. I told him that all Iwantedwaspeace.Henodded.“ThatisallIwanttoo,”hesaid.Yoga helpedme emerge from thedarkest timeofmy life.Without yoga, I amnotsure Iwouldhavesurvived.Gradually, testingeachstep, I immersedmyself in thepracticeandphilosophyofIntegralYoga.Thephysicalyogapractices,thebreathingtechniques, the vegetarian diet, and the perennial philosophy of yoga were allcriticalelementsalongmypathtohealing.I learnedthejoysofTheBhagavadGitaandPatanjali’sYogaSutras,twoofthegreatestyogatexts.SatchitanandataughtmethatthepathtothepeaceIsoughtwasa lifeofservice. Icame to see the “self” I sought as an instrument of service, and therefore aninstrumentofpeace.St.Francissaid:“Lord,makemeaninstrumentofThypeace.”IknewIwouldalwaysbeimperfectasaninstrumentofservice.Butthatbecamemygoal.By extension, I began to see Commonweal as an instrument of service—not aninstitution.Inolongerfeltthatwehadtosustainspecificprogramsindefinitely.Asatool, Commonweal should have no institutional ego—no need to be grand orfamous. This understanding fit with my own psychological preference, as anintrovert,fora“half-hiddenlife.”ItalsofitwiththesenseIhadlongheldthattherewasnoneedforCommonwealtolastforever.I understood that the spirit of real service alights in different places at differenttimes.Wecanneverknowhow long thegraceof thespiritwill remainwithusasindividuals—orwithanyorganization.As longas thespiritof servicewasaliveatCommonweal, I thought that the community would probably survive. But if thespiritofserviceweretodepartfromCommonweal,Ihopedthatwewouldhavethegracetorecognizeit,tocelebratetheworkwehaddone,andthenmoveon.My rebirth throughyoga—itwasnothing less than that—didnotend the crisis atCommonweal.ButIhadfoundananchorwithinmyselfthatconnectedmetoadeepsenseofinnerpeace.Thoughuncertainaboutthefuture,IknewthatIwouldworkas hard and as skillfully as I could to sustain Commonweal’s work. But ifCommonwealweretocometoanend, Iknewthatsomehow,somewhere, Iwouldfindawaytocontinuetoserve.

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