Pato and Social distancing

Social distancing...maybe I’ve been practicing that before it was coined! I crave solitude, it’s been my way of re centering, a way to get to know myself again, and check in with who I am and who I want to be. Self care? Maybe self therapy is the term. Sitting alone, in nature or not, and having a conversation with myself (internal thought or not!) is extremely cleansing. Though with an 11 month old now it’s very hard to find those moments!😂

Let’s talk about PATO...protracted and thoughtful observation. What a wonderful permaculture principle that can be applied in just about every element of life; landscape design, social design, personal growth. Stepping back to survey or contemplate the larger picture is vital to the health of a system. I don’t know how many times during a landscape design process I was sure I was heading in the right direction, until I practiced PATO and saw an error where locations of elements would not benefit the system as a whole. By stepping back and distancing myself, I was able to see what needed to be done.

Maybe that’s what we all need to do, forced or not, in this time of peril. Maybe it’s a wonderful time to self reflect, start a new book, binge watch Netflix, walk in nature, or just me in your thoughts. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very scary time, and my heart goes out to all those seriously affected. And I definitely find myself falling towards fear. But let’s look beyond this emergency. For this won’t be the last. This is a moment to practice PATO for yourself, for your community, for the world. And answers don’t need to be found in PATO. It’s merely a cue to slow down and look around! Like Ferris Bueller said, “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”!

But we can accept it as a time of self reflection, or even societal reflection. Take time to see our community and how it operates.

make time for PATO!