With head and heart
Olle’s story
Photo: Berit Indset / Text: Anders Wilmann
On the local beach in Molkom we’re greeted by a calm and somewhat rugged fellow who extends his hand and presents himself as Olle. Nature is what it is about for Olle. Nature and how to enjoy and take care of it. At Ängsbacka he spent much time as part of the agriculture team, and through that lived “on campus” for a little over a year’s time in total. Now he has moved his passion for nature working as a private environmental consultant for municipalities in Värmland and other local organisations. Olle has settled well in Molkom.
He is a bit of a bush man. Calm, collected and peaceful. Time seems to be a non-issue as we begin to share, and there is no hurry in his voice as he speaks. He feels devoted to nature more than anything. Teaching mindfulness through nature walks and spending both work time and free time in the forest seems to have shaped his character into who he is today.
“Here I’ve got my friends and here I always seem to get my needs for connection met. I assume I’d be feeling a bit lonely if I lived somewhere else.”
He shares that it is through the deeper conversations that he feels connected with people, by going past the common superficial themes like the weather and not always answering “good” too the question about “how are you?”. He goes on explaining that here people ask, “how are you, really?”, and in that there is connection. Daring to see deeper and allowing oneself to be seen creates a space to actually feel a bit deeper into one self and share a bit more vulnerably from a more connected space.
There are a couple of men’s-circles in the extended community, and Olle in charge of one of them. He seems passionate about healing the masculine and also just be able to get together and connect as men, as brothers. His sighs with contentment as he speaks, and it is obvious that this theme of togetherness and male bonding is both healing and beneficial for those involved. Still he would love to see even more of it here in the community around Ängsbacka – to have more clarity and direction as a group and with a stronger purpose. He feels that direction could bring in a stronger feeling of togetherness and more manifestation. He goes on speaking about the balance between feeling and doing, and that if men can find a deeper connection to themselves then that can shape men into more balanced and content beings. Strong and soft at the same time, and that it is all about dropping down into oneself.
“There’s so much distance between men these days so to have a space to be vulnerable and share with other guys, without beer being involved, seems to do so much good for everyone involved”.
According to him there is a strong sense of community here, mainly focused on conversations, sharing and inner growth. He admits that is what attracted him to Ängsbacka and the community in the first place and probably what kept him here too. Yet theres a little unfulfilled part of him when it comes to nature. He explains the difference between being appreciative of nature and really longing to be in it. There seems to be a hint of loneliness in that longing. As if he is on his own. There’s no dissatisfaction in it though, just a calm acceptance that life is what it is.
“Living here has allowed me to drop down from my head into my heart”.
It is almost a contradiction to the whole man that he has to hurry off to reach an appointment, as he seems to have all the time in the world. As he departs he leaves the impression that this calmness is somehow a part of his character, but also a feat attributed to living here and being in exactly this community.
