Hope Chest: Traditional Sustainable Life

When the modern society cared for the tradition we followed the keyhole perspective. We forgot the experiential knowledge of living with our family or living in a small town community and we were willing to view our legacy as an exotic colorful and interesting consumable commodity. It was the period of alienation from our roots and environment thinking we were radicals moving fast to the liquid uncertain modernity. But we had already strongly influenced by the practices we lived or the myths and the narratives of stories we heard by older people, grandmothers and grandfathers. They were by tradition the gatekeeper acting with practices and rules all these that local society calls customs and ethics. We have participated in festivals like olive collection and wine grape production, strongly connected with life cycle. We have seen the neighbors helping each other for the year harvest. Images from the past Lets open the treasure chest and reconstruct the images from the past for the water use, for the heating ways, for food waste treatment The rainfall water-after the first rain-was collected in large vessel-tanks for bathing, cloth washing and gardening. Heating was based on burning wood or the valuable well dried animal manure especial cow manure. The burning wood or dried manure ashes were used for cleaning dirty clothes. The remaining ash was useful for the preparation of traditional sweets from fruits. Old clothes were repaired and finally used in patchwork after been worn out. After a nice meal the remaining food was part of the home animal meal or finally part of a composting process to be used as fertilize material for the garden. Food was warmed or even cooked in the fireplace in the house. Nothing was wasted. Energy (sun, wind, heat) and materials were completely utilized. The ecology in its core definition and intuitive implementation in every days life.

Images from the past that call the CRISP team and the broader community to be engaged in constructing our treasure hope chest and practice collection habits for a sustainable future.