Casa Robino

Once upon a time in a little space with big ideas, there stayed (for an uncertain amount of time) a boy and girl. The boy was quite good at cooking. He had not only the technical skills but the ingenuity of creating even in times of scarcity. Luckily the boy was not selfish. Everynight, he would fix the girl a warm meal, leaving her smiling and relaxed for a peaceful slumber.

But while the boy was creating, she was creating also! She would sit on the floor beside with the window, tools for artwork sprawled around her. She painted brilliant pictures for the walls of the space and once, even a painting for the boy. The boy quite liked her creations and was amazed at her talent for art.

But I wish I could cook, silently thought the girl. One day, I will leave this space and without my friend, I shall eat cold meals.

It wasn't that the girl had no capacity for cooking. She had simply never had to!
She grew up in Convenienceland, where food was manufactured and put into bags for a ready-made meal. She was quite the exception in her population. Being an artist, she would buy only Bag-o-Salad and never Bag-o-Burgers.

And sometimes when the boy was gazing at the beauty on the walls, he would become a little sad.

I wish I could paint, he silently thought. One day, I will leave this space and without my friend, I will have empty walls except for this one she has given me.

It wasn't that the boy had no talent for art. When he was younger, he greatly enjoyed his art classes, often standing out from his peers. Somehow, he had gotten distracted from art. When he grew older, he had begun to read the Wall Street Journal and learned to talk in numbers with his dad. He was quite scared to pick up a paintbrush again.

One day, the boy and girl eventually left the space. For dinner, the girl returned to meals of convenience, and for beauty, the boy hung up his painting the girl had given him. His only piece of art, it hung all alone.

How sad it is when people keep their knowledge to themselves. I feel like the people that stay at Casarobino have an extraordinary capacity for creating, but there is a serious lacking in creation relative to the capacity for such. Certainly, it is no matter of selfishnesss. As with the boy and girl, altruism is present. I think it is a matter of organization. What do you all think of workshops for teaching? Everyone has something to share. From rolling joints to cooking to language to computer uh, stuff,. The camaraderie in the house among would-be strangers is miraculous and creates the perfect climate for teaching and learning.