Healing Gardens

bison of the badlands

My name is (Randall) Adam Martin. I was born in Nashua but grew up in Merrimack, a small town in southern rural New Hampshire. I grew up playing and learning in the forest behind my house during the "school" year (it was and I think still is the second largest parcel of uncut forest in my area) and the White Mountains in the summer.

My father's side of the family is English and very Scandinavian, if I remember mostly Norwegian. My first name, Randall, comes from the Medieval word Randolf which comes from the old Germanic words rand -the rim of a shield, and wulf - wolf. This translates to wolf shield, which is a Viking Warrior name if I ever heard one... Martin comes from the Roman word Martinus which is derived from Martis the genitive of Mars the god of War.

I have always been called Adam. I really like the etymology of my name because for me it explains a lot of what my passions are. Adam comes from the Hebrew word for man, but if it is followed back it first meant, "to be red", in terms of the color of skin. It can also be followed further back to the Assyrian word adamu which means "to make". Yet, in genesis there is a word play with my name in Hebrew "adamah" which means earth, because Adam was made from the earth by God. So my name can be translated to red man of the earth.

This for me ties my two heritages. On my mothers side She is French Canadian and Sioux. I don't know really anyone on my Mother's side so, unfortunately I have not yet been able to trace my Sioux heritage back to what area of the continent my ancestors resided, and is a search I continue today. My mother never really talked of this lineage and I never was able to have a relationship with either my Grandmother or Grandfather on my mother's side and learn those traditions.

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Academically ,I am in my third year of college. My first to years I went to Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. That was a good time for me. I studied studio arts and environmental sciences. I transfered out to Evergreen and am now focusing on environmental action/philosopy, sustainability and writing. Outside of this I am an Americorp Member serving at a low -income housing community doing youth mentoring and environmental education. I am also getting to participate in the designing and sustaining of a community garden at my site as well.

I was drawn to healing gardens because I often get pretty depressed about the current situation we face. I often get pretty pessimistic and negative (Meg could attest to this). Since I have taken Healing gardens last quarter my health and being has been thriving and enriching. It has allowed me to hold all my emotions in my body at once and be ok. It has been really great for me personally, emotionally, and physically.

 My Creation Story

I am going to attach it as a word because I have no clue how to make it so I don't have to spend half and hour reformatting the damn thing.