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Well - why not?
All the years I said "I am living in Cambridge permanently - for the time being". And about every other year I considered to move away - but it never happened - I was tied up with too many self imposed obligations. My friend Anna came to live temporarily in Cambridge - 27 years ago. She warned me, that I might end up getting stuck here. Of course there are many reasons why to leave Cambridge. Actually please consider, that I did stay 7 years in Cambridge - and I contributed quite a lot to the community in various ways (with the help of the Rainbow Network Cambridge).

My wife Vitalija told me what she called Zen wisdom some years ago, which I still remember and which fascinates me:

What does a master do, when he has reached success in his field (art, craft...)?
He changes his name, moves to a different place and starts from the beginning with another profession.

Yes - I could have stayed in Cambridge - maybe grow a belly and maybe manage to buy a council house and pay the mortgage off, waiting for the pension age...
I do remember, when I worked as a town planner applicant in the Dortmund city administration in the 70s, that I had an insight: either people leave their job after 5 years - and keep their enthusiasm - or they stay - and gradually become dusty adapted office ghosts, waiting for 5pm to go home with a "Thanks God it's Friday" hope, preventing them from dying before they reach pension age.

Just while my wife and I discussed our plans, my parents sent me a copy of a wonderful poem, which expresses, what I feel deep inside and what I was about to forget in to my busy life. This poem hits the point:

Ralph

"Steps" from "The Glass Bead Game" by the German poet Hermann Hesse "As every blossom fades and all youth sinks into old age, so every life's design, each flower of wisdom, every good attains its prime and cannot last forever. In life, each call the heart must be prepared courageously without a hint of grief, submit itself to other new ties. A magic dwells in each beginning, protecting us tells us how to live. High purposed we must traverse realm on realm, cleaving to none as to a home, the world of spirit wishes not to fetter us but raise us higher, step by step. Scarce in some safe accustomed sphere of life have we establish a house, then we grow lax; only he who is ready to journey forth can throw old habits off. Maybe death's hour too will send us out new-born towards undreamed-lands, maybe life's call to us will never find an end ... Courage my heart, take leave and fare thee well."

"Stufen" aus: "Das Glasperlenspiel" von Hermann Hesse Wie jede Blüte welkt und jede Jugend dem Alter weicht, blüht jede Lebensstufe, blüht jede Weisheit auch und jede Tugend zu ihrer Zeit und darf nicht ewig dauern. Es muss das Herz bei jeder Lebensstufe bereit zum Abschied sein und Neubeginn um sich in Tapferkeit und ohne Trauern in andre, neue Bindungen zu geben. Und jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne, der uns beschützt und der uns hilft zu leben. Wir sollen heiter Raum um Raum durchschreiten, an keinem wie an einer Heimat hängen. Der Weltgeist will nicht fesseln uns und engen, er will uns Stuf' um Stufe heben, weiten. Kaum sind wir heimisch einem Lebenskreise und traulich eingewohnt, so droht Erschlaffen. Nur wer bereit zu Aufbruch ist und Reise mag lähmender Gewöhnung sich entraffen. Es wird vielleicht auch noch die Todesstunde uns neuen Räumen jung entgegenschicken. Des Lebens Ruf an uns wird niemals enden ... Wohlan denn, Herz, nimm Abschied und gesunde!

We have just moved house on Sat 31st July '04 in Cambridge and tried to reduce our material belongings... (view photos). Would you like to keep some things from us as a souvenir? Please come to our new home to view and choose what you would like View list of some items we want to give away. We had a wonderful farewell celebration weekend 3-5th September '04 with farewell party on Saturday 4th Sept.'04. and a Peace Dance Day with Ralph on Sun 5th Sept.'04. Ra in bo w Network Cambridge needs to survive Ralph has some home care, cleaning & garding jobs to offer. So where are we going to from Cambridge? We plan to move to Riga, Vitalija's home town, later this year. I see England as a big, old tree: stable and strong - with not much change or challange.. Latvia is a young, slim tree, flexible, with a huge potential of growth in many directions. More information to come later on www.rainbow-cambridge.org.uk/riga Our current address & how to contact us

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