New to any type forums and this one came highly recommended, no turning back now. Met Murahilin and Patrick on Saturday to pick up some of the free pomerac seedlings to share with family and fellow Treasure Coast Rare Fruit Club members. Was very impressed by Patrick's garden and Murahilin's knowlege. I felt right at home in Patrick's garden - fruit tress in his front lawn, sides and back. PARADISE!
My reality has been working with the mental health population, and in 2010 realized that I had my own mental health issues. I could not wait until retirement to create the exotic fruit garden I dreamed about daily, so the OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) personality took over. Quit my job, cleared out the grass from my lawn, went to excalibur, and today blissfully enjoying the fruits of my labor; 20 years before my retirement. Somehow I keep finding room in my already polulated yard to add just one more tree. Peppers were my 2013 obsession, 2014 will be tomatoes, and the OCD continues! For the last 3 years I enjoyed being in heaven; no time clocks, no traffic jams, no deadlines, no "normal" people to deal with; it was just me, my garden (100 plus fruit trees) and fellow fruit tree fanatics (no offense).
Gardening lowers my blood pressure, relieves my anxiety, feeds my OCD, and allows me to escape the rat race of life. Social Activism is my reality. I founded an international Human Rights Organization working with families permanently separated by US deportation policies. When immigrant parents are deported, many of their American children are either lost in the US child welfare system and / or thier parental rights are taken away and we have a mess. I am also very active in my community, currently working with one of the local schools to develop a sustainable school garden, assiting a local AIDs organization with a fundraising project, and working with the FAU (Florida Atlantic University) Collegiate chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as a program developer, while working on my Masters.
I purchased 15 acres of land in Trinidad just in case I run out of planting space on the one lot lot I live on in Port St Lucie FL. I know my mental issues are deep especially when I was able to convince my Therapist and my Psychiatrist to join me (lol).
My current mission is figuring out how to marry my passion (fruit tree gardening) with my reality (human rights activist). Ideas welcomed.
Marlene