Richard’s neighbors in Chiapas
Out of nowhere, like St. Nick coming this eve, Richard Flamer called me tonight asking if he and another Catholic Worker could stay here for the night. I had heard of him. Richard Flamer and his wife have a Catholic Worker farm in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. He and another Catholic Worker from Des Moines were at Marquette University where Richard, a professional photojournalist for many years, was arranging to archive his photos. You can read about Richard and his work in Chiapas on the Bishop Ruiz Project web page.
Tonight we discovered we have a lot more in common than the Catholic Worker and mutual friends. Richard, as I, uses worms in his growing on the farm, and has come up with all kinds of ways to save energy and use waste, much more than I can hope to do. Tonight he gave me a design for a greenhouse that uses discarded sliding patio doors and angle irons.
Richard’s wealth of life experience is way beyond that of anyone I know. He was a photojournalist for many years in war-torn countries, forensic photographer, and photojournalist for stories on Italian restaurants and orchids. He is in the USA to make some money by doing construction work and to visit friends.
As a Vietnam veteran he knows the futility and horror of war firsthand. He has made the connection between nonviolence and the worm. Sharing experience with him has given me a lot to think about and to write about. You never know what blessings come unexpectedly out of nowhere.
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