(checked 2024-05-22 )
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A few years later we went to a Gathering in Quebec. After driving for hours and walking miles through the forest, we came to an isolated lake. While walking along the banks of the lake, we met a small group of people. They were carrying a huge bag of popcorn, which they encouraged us to sample. So we stood in the middle of the wilderness, hundreds of miles from home, dozens from the nearest small town, and at least two miles from the nearest road sharing unexpected popcorn. Only at a Rainbow gathering!
We went on to find a place to pitch our tent. We chose a small flat spot about half-way up a fairly steep hill at the side of the trail in (not over the lake). We put up our tent and hung the flag over it. We memorized landmarks on the trail and checked that the flag was clearly visible from the trail. Then we went off to join the gathering fun.
It was dark as we headed back to the tent. We found the trail landmarks and shined our flashlight up the hill. There was the flag, hanging where we put it, clearly visible about 30 meters up the hill. We scrambled up, but when we got to the flat area, we could not find the tent or flag. We went back down to the trail, shined our flashlight up, and clearly saw the flag.
This time as we scrambled up we were more careful not to let obstacles divert us from the straight way. Still, when we got to the flat area, we could not find the tent or flag. We went back down to the trail.
There's the flag, clearly visible in the flashlight beam. This time as we climbed the hill we kept the flashlight shining on the flag constantly, even if it meant climbing over rocks, logs, and weeds in the dark. On the third try we got to our flag and the tent nearby. The flag did not quite save our lives, but it saved us from a very uncomfortable night in the woods without tent or sleeping bag. Without the flag there would have been no chance of finding the tent.
We took our Polyfidelity flag to many gatherings over the years, until the Nerflings knew it was ours. They would say: "They must be here, there's the polyfidelity flag", but they might as well have called it the blue and yellow flag. Almost nobody asked about polyfidelity. Maybe they already knew what it is, maybe the logo makes it self explanatory, but I doubt that. Once a little boy asked it it meant I was "gay". I said "No". He looked like he didn't believe me, but went away without further questions.
[1] Polyfidelity, Art and Writings by the members of the Kerista Commune,
Published by the Performing Arts Social Society. (1984)
This book says:
In the May 1980 issue of Psychology Today there appeared a lead article on the subject of jealousy. Featured in the article was a two-page spread entitled "Polyfidelity: The Keristan Village Ideal"…which is the main evidence I have that the word "polyfidelity" was coined in the 1970's.
[2] Ryam Nearing, The New Faithful: A Polyfidelity Primer, Polyfidelitous Educational Productions, Eugene OR (1989)
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(checked 2024-05-22 ) |
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