It’s February 2050 and I’m sitting in the dappled shade of my grapevine covered pergola. Today is my 85^th birthday. Birthdays have always been a time of reflection for me and today I am taken back thirty years to 2020 when the global Covid-19 pandemic changed our world forever. Little did I know then what it would mean for us all, for our planet, our country and our small town of Thames, an hour’s drive from Auckland. And for me.

I was living in Auckland, a city of over a million people, when the virus hit. Close to family, but also close to construction noise and a busy community seemingly focused on resource consumption and material wealth. My passion was connection; people co-operating, learning and evolving. The five weeks that we all stayed at home had also ignited my love of nature. As the world stopped, the birdsong increased, the sea became crystal clear and we were able to return to ourselves.

Even though our death rate was low in New Zealand, the societal and economic fallout was devastating. The global treadmill ground to a halt and everyone who was dependent on it was hit hard; our tourism and hospitality sectors in particular. When many retailers realized they could survive in an online world, many shops closed their physical doors for good. Our small towns were already suffering, and this was the final straw.

My friend AK was involved with a community-orientated shop in Thames. It had a great vibe and brought musicians and locals together to play and chew the fat over food in their vegan café. Together with the town’s business association, we created a forum for local businesses whose focus on community and co-operation, coupled with social, economic and environmental evolution provided fertile ground for something new.

Today we have a town that has community gardens at its heart, surrounded by local cafes and stalls selling locally made wares and services. There are spaces for all ages, young and old. A collegial space where people come to connect. The area around the town has been replanted in manuka and other plants that support our honey economy. The vibe is so welcoming that we are no longer a main street of faceless shops that visitors drive through en route to the beaches of the Coromandel. It is a destination in itself. There are small towns like this all over New Zealand now.

And me? Along with others, I invested some of my savings into the development of the community gardens, and have enjoyed fruit and vegetables grown by others in that ground ever since. My celebrant business enabled me to celebrate life’s milestones with multiple generations of local families, and I supplemented my income by connecting remotely with people from around the world who valued my ability to hold space for them on their own journeys to deeper connection. There are many others like me who moved out of Auckland and now share their skills via technology and invest their free time and resources back into our community. Occasionally I am invited to meet with locals who are working through an issue and need someone to oil the wheels to help them along. We meet at the gardens and connect with nature before getting down to business, but we always remember what’s really important in all of this… freedom, connection and the health of us all.

Oh, and as my partner who lives in the tiny house next to me brings me some morning tea, I am reminded of the most important of all. Care and love.