Day 30 𖦹 THE END

It's official. We have served free tea in Maria Hernandez Park every single day of April. Thank you for everything. 

Arnaud is playing the clarinet underneath the poem Initiation Song from the Finders' Lodge by Ursula K. Le Guin. This month was one of the most special of my entire life. It was a true honor to document the people and moments of this corner of the world. I am so grateful. Until next time.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_09 0:02

Day 30. Take it up and five people.

SPEAKER_07 0:16

Thirty days of free tea in Mary Hernandez Park.

SPEAKER_03 0:19

Hello, hello.

SPEAKER_07 0:21

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 0:25

Final day.

SPEAKER_07 0:31

It's a beautiful day.

SPEAKER_03 0:39

Okay, Miles. How are you feeling? It's the last day.

SPEAKER_07 0:45

The last day. I'm tired, but in a totally different way. We're here. Even if we have to crawl over the finish line, like that's that's good enough.

SPEAKER_11 0:58

Yeah. You made it to the final day.

SPEAKER_07 1:02

We made it.

SPEAKER_11 1:04

Stefan made it.

SPEAKER_07 1:06

Hell yeah. One last cup. Jasmine Green, baby. Yeah. I was like, okay, no, we're just saying it's gonna be weird. Like just not being here just on any.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

I was like, okay.

SPEAKER_07 1:19

When I think about it not being here for others, that's when I feel sad and like can feel the emotions belling up. Like when I when I take myself out of it a little bit, and it's not about what's on my to-do list, but more just like what is happening in the park and are there people walking by where the T-Sand normally is and like having their heart sink a little bit because it's not there and their friends aren't there. That's the part that that hurts.

SPEAKER_06 2:03

I think endings used to be really hard for me, but now they're really easy because I don't see it as an end. It doesn't feel like an ending because it will always be with me and with all of us. I think this space and and time will forever exist. When I'm picturing my future self thinking back in this moment, I'll think of like the wind and cool air post-rain and the food that was shared and the warmth.

SPEAKER_05 2:46

I'll actually go because I have a tree that I have to do.

SPEAKER_06 2:49

I know.

SPEAKER_05 2:50

Because this is like the spot.

SPEAKER_07 2:52

Great spot. I know. Thanks for being such a part of the month.

SPEAKER_05 2:57

Oh yeah, of course. I feel like this helps us get to know each other in the community.

SPEAKER_11 3:04

Tell me about this idea of doing it together versus doing it alone.

SPEAKER_07 3:10

I was seeing how different people who were taking over were interacting with visitors.

SPEAKER_09 3:15

It's cool to be able to do this. It's okay.

SPEAKER_07 3:18

People in the neighborhood need to know them. Like they're so good. They're just full of life and love and ready to share it.

SPEAKER_03 3:29

Your first time serving the tea. Tell me about this experience.

SPEAKER_08 3:34

I feel so lucky to be here. I've had so many special interactions that have made me just like love the cuteness in humans so much. It's like I'm feeding them many different things and handing them tea. I'm like, I believe in you. Go take on the day, you're amazing. And I'm here. And I'm here for you.

unknown 4:05

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:06

How does it feel to be sitting on this side of the stand?

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Well, I'm a little nervous, but it feels good. Nah, now I could I could be in Miles' shoes and see how it is serving tea to the community. Jose's first pour.

SPEAKER_11 4:25

Okay, Joy. How are you? How does it feel to be behind the stand? It feels like a full circle moment.

SPEAKER_10 4:33

Um I'm getting a taste of what Miles must feel all the time and why it's so rewarding and why he keeps showing up. He really expanded my imagination for what we could be doing with our time. Okay, so you're taking over the stand.

SPEAKER_04 4:48

I'm taking over the tea stand.

SPEAKER_03 4:50

How do you feel about it being the last day of perpetual brew?

SPEAKER_04 4:54

I'm actually a little bit heartbroken. I think that even in the like the background, knowing that this was happening was like kind of heartening about like the state of the world. And I know that it's like not ending for the rest of the forever. Um, but it's something that we need to have all the time.

SPEAKER_07 5:14

David. Aw, and Maddie's there. It's so perfect.

SPEAKER_11 5:18

Maddie's favorite person.

SPEAKER_01 5:19

How does it feel to be behind the stand? Oh my gosh, it feels so beautiful. Every time I'm behind the stand, I feel like this is where I'm supposed to be. Every morning I journal and I'm like, okay, this is what I'm gonna do today, and it's you know, get groceries, blah blah blah, whatever. Go to the tea stand. Like that's always on my schedule for the day. It's been so special to know that people I love, people I'm like I have never met before, people I have learned to love are all gonna be there. It just gives you such a big sense of belonging.

SPEAKER_07 5:55

This is a poem from Always Coming Home by Ursula Le Guin. Please bring strange things. Please come bringing new things. Let very old things come into your hands. Let what you do not know come into your eyes. Let desert sand harden your feet. Let the arch of your feet be the mountains. Let the paths of your fingertips be your maps, and the ways you go be the lines on your palms. Let there be deep snow in your inbreathing, and your outbreath be the shining of ice. May your mouth contain the shapes of strange words. May you smell food cooking you have not eaten. May the spring of a foreign river be your naval. May your soul be at home where there are no houses. Walk carefully, well loved one. Walk mindfully, well loved one. Walk fearlessly, well loved one. Return with us, return to us, the always coming home. Even when things feel really uncertain, and even when I'm having questions about my identity and my purpose, this is all part of the journey home to myself. Seeing seeing this as a step also toward toward a home for future humans and non-humans. And just working toward a world where our neighborhoods feel more like home. It's just part of the path there. And I think that's where a lot of the sadness comes in. It's like it feels like a home is being torn down. And it will be rebuilt and torn down and rebuilt and torn down, but it won't be a fixture in the same way that it has been for this past month for so many people.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

Yeah, Jesse said it changed his life. You didn't even know Jesse a couple weeks ago. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 8:51

Something really beautiful. Oh yeah. Five forty-nine PM. Second cry of the day.

SPEAKER_09 9:07

Oh man.

SPEAKER_07 9:11

Okay, I need to like say it to you to like say it to myself. We're gonna clear the table, move it over there, and then we're gonna like I mean we're gonna circle around the table. Alright, everybody, come on over! Alright. And then if anyone wants to say any words, can you say something?

SPEAKER_03 9:44

Uh during the circle. Yeah. You say something in the center? Yeah. Okay. Hey, I'm May. Uh I've gotten Lucky enough to get to meet so many of you. So thank you. Thank you for your words. Thank you for your words and your humanness. Um and Miles. It's been, it's been so, so meaningful to get to know you and and like see you live in this way. That's so full of care and intention. And it's so cool that like this is just like an idea, you know? And like look at what it's become. Not only right now, but I've witnessed I witnessed so much connection and love and care and silliness with strangers who have become like friends and like roommates and and and and it's it's really special. And I feel so lucky.

SPEAKER_07 10:54

So then I think it's like there's all this energy and we kind of need a release. And so I was gonna say we like run a lap around the park, maybe. Who's coming? Keep in mind the park visitors. Let's be respectful.

SPEAKER_09 11:20

Oh god.

SPEAKER_07 11:22

Oh, it's gonna be so long.

SPEAKER_09 11:25

Okay. What if we walked?

SPEAKER_03 11:32

How are we doing, Maddie? Oh my god, I'm gonna die. How are you feeling?

SPEAKER_07 11:40

It's over. Thank God. It's over.

SPEAKER_11 11:52

What a month.