Real Stories
A short-term core member (30-something):
I spent eight months at Othona as a short-term core member, coming without knowing much about it, looking for a place to belong, to experience community, to explore my own ideas about spirituality. I found all of these, and more; profound learning and new ideas, much laughter and fun, some tears, self-worth, delicious food (I went up a dress size – be warned!), a huge variety of people and their stories, new skills, and best of all, lasting friendships. All this, set in a landscape of such beauty and space that my heart skipped a beat at my luck to be living there.
But don't get me wrong. Othona will challenge you. There will be some days when you think "What am I doing here?", "Help! There's too many people around" or "If I clean another loo, I'll go mad"… but wait… take a breath. Be soothed by layers of sea, sky and tree. Still your anxiety in the peace of the chapel or the wisdom of the library. Look around you at the faces of visitors and core alike and see how they soften and mend, see how their bodies relax and begin to breathe again. Because at its best, this is what Othona does: it allows you to breathe, to be, to open up your petals again one by one. And to be part of that process, to share in it for however long, is truly a grace-filled experience.
A long-term core member (30-something):
As soon as I walked in the door the first time I arrived at Othona I felt at home and knew I wanted to spend some more time there. One thing I loved about it was the number of other people who also felt at home there – the one place, for some, where they felt they could be themselves, they were accepted for who they were – something increasingly rare in our image-obsessed culture. I really appreciated being part of a place which enabled some sense of community to develop over a few days – where people listened and felt listened to.
It also stretched and challenged me: to listen where I didn't agree or understand, to deal with confrontation and conflict at times (something I don't naturally feel at all comfortable with), to try and fathom when to speak and when to stay silent, to find space and silence in the busyness and bustle. I greatly appreciated the open Christianity, meeting many like-minded people with whom you could share spiritual journeys. This was so refreshing and rich after many years of often feeling in a vacuum and alone spiritually where I lived.
Another long-term core member (40-something):
My two years at Othona were very challenging but extremely valuable. Times when I was stretched to my limits, but experiences which led to great personal growth. Community life can be a powerful and intense crucible – unavoidable encounters with the best and the worst in myself and others. You do live life to the full at Othona and, although intense at times, there is a lot of support from Tony and Elizabeth (warden and chair of Committee), and from the Othona regulars. A real place and community where people are allowed to be their true selves…
If you want to work on the core it is a good idea to first ask yourself: "What can I give ?" rather than starting with: "What can I get ?" If you start with giving then you will receive so much in return.
