June’s Theme is Wildeness

We travel to the edges of our known world — to wander, to lose ourselves, to commune with the wilderness. Dappled light dripping in through the forest canopy, insects buzzing as feet squelch through wetlands, inhaling the hot dry air and endless skies of desert, we long for this. Some of us seek enchantment and estrangement here. Some of us call it home.

We do not exist apart or separate from the wild. In her meditation on trees, poet Grace Paley writes, “we are like any greengrowing machinery / riding the daylight route / into darkness.” The wilderness lives within all of us, the rhythms of our bodies tethering us to the natural world.

What is the wilderness that calls you home? Where do you go to wander? How do you honor what is wild and unruly inside of you?

The Berlin speaker on June 17 at POP KUDAMM will be Olaf Mordelt. He is the founder and CEO of One World Studio, Berlin – the experience design agency. Olaf is passionate about the amusement park and retail industry. He will talk about his Star Concept, a retail marketing idea based on the triangle engagement, authenticity, and human asset management where event, amusement, food&beverage, and retail forming the experience.

Our Chattanooga chapter chose this month’s exploration of Wilderness and Hollie Chastain illustrated the theme.