Pacoima Community Garden

Tonight we went on a tour of Pacoima's community garden, which is where we'll perform the play. Julio, the twenty year old youth leader of the garden was our tour guide. Born in Guatemala but raised here since he was two, Julio is perfect for the role he got in the play, Dreamer. I was moved listening to him talk about the garden. There are the facts, of course: 65 families, a waiting list, all organic, etc. But he spoke genuinely about how he sees the garden as a sacred space. He helps the garden and the garden helps him. He was given muscles do to work and provide protection and safety, not to participate in violence. He spoke about how he sees this as the difference between a macho and a man. He talked about the medicinal garden plot and how when someone he knew had a loved one dying, he told the distressed woman to go tend to the plants and it would make her feel better...and it did.

Julio inspired me. He possesses an inspiring love for the garden, sense of purpose, and belief in the garden's ability to heal and inspire others . I'm so glad that he's going to perform in this community play in his beloved garden. After hearing so much about how "it's not all bad in Pacoima," it was wonderful to finally have a concrete place and experience of the everyday beauty here.