The rolling forest of Wyoming County and the abandoned fields of suburban Amherst had a seminal and indelible impact upon my junior soul. Growing up with all the creature comforts of middle class America whilst exposed to the wonders of nature made for a most enchanted childhood. Though there were bullying incidents (yes I was sometimes bullied as a little boy and teen), broken bones and adapting to new schools, the early years of my life were no less marked with adventure, family fun and happiness. I give thanks for these blessings every day.
It was this innocent fascination as a boy, and later buttressed as an adolescent, which pointed me in a vocational direction to pursue a college degree at SUNY-ESF in Syracuse, NY. After completing some of my prerequisites at Erie Community College, I relocated a couple hour's drive east on the NYS I-90 to major in Environmental Biology Applications. I was immersed in coursework ranging from ecology and soils to policy and law. The academic rigors notwithstanding, I was pretty jazzed about the knowledge I was acquiring, particularly when applied through my various meanderings into the wilderness from Cranberry Lake to Mount Sterling.
This relatively tranquil leg of the journey would take a turn, or a backflip, in a destiny-altering trajectory at the conclusion of my first semester. I had been residing with two roommates in campus housing, one a north country lad, Scott, and the other an inner city son, Marcus from the Bronx. We got along well as 3 young men from 3 different corners of the state. However, dispensing of cannabis long before there would be legalization efforts culminated in a freak incident on a cold, December night during final exam week. A late night altercation involving Marcus and a presumed "customer" resulted in an act of violence. The assailant left my roommate with a slashed hand before entering my bedroom at the other end of the hall and inflicting multiple puncture wounds as I slept.
I spent the next 6 days in the hospital recovering from internal wounds to my stomach, liver and lungs. I was home by Christmas Eve to celebrate with family, admittedly subdued as I continued to mend. Despite the horror of the event, I returned the following semester to continue my studies in an off-campus apartment with my girlfriend Megan, and previous roommate Scott. Marcus had been expelled for his involvement in drug trafficking, and he did call me to apologize for his role in the life-threatening outcome. I offered him forgiveness and carried on determined to finish what I'd started. Our attacker had turned himself in and plead guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree assault. I never harbored any anger toward him. Instead, I aimed it at a Higher Power, and lost my faith.
I did complete my bachelor degree, graduating with honors, only to carry suppressed emotional wounds from the trauma for the next couple of decades. It wasn't until 2015 that I endured a series of painful life events- including the death of my 3 year-old nephew Charlie, breakup of a relationship with long-term potential and my father's stroke- and thrust into a healing crisis. I had no clue what was going on as panic attacks, digestive problems and various neuromuscular issues escalated. Fortunately, there's been no medical diagnosis of grave concern, and the road to recovery has allowed me to exorcise the demons I might have faced at a younger age had I the courage.
By the grace of the Almighty, and the support of many loved ones, I find myself in "new territory", physically and metaphysically, with a renewed passion for exploring the natural world. I'm excited about the prospect of developing the first permaculture nursery, installation and education service in our region. WNY Permaculture is affording me the opportunity to brush up on binomial nomenclature from the thousands of plants I read about and identified in the field as a student at the environmental college. It is almost as if the clock's been re-wound and this is what I would have been doing following graduation had it been an option 20 years ago. It just goes to show that timing may not be everything, but surely it is part of the equation.
As Co-founder and CEO of this promising venture, I'm honored to be among a small group of thoughtful citizens endeavoring to change the world through cooperation, creativity and ecology. I give thanks for Eric, Coley, Elli & Tim, a championship team in the making as we roll up the sleeves to serve our community. May our green thumbs and golden hearts lead us, with a bit of perspiration, and a trailer-load of inspiration, beyond our wildest imagination. Though it may be true that nothing gold can stay, surely all the glitters is green.
Aloha,
Sean "Paw" Kennedy