Voluntary Peasants/Life Inside the Ultimate American Commune:THE FARM, Part 4: Hippie Peace Corps Goes to Guatemala

By Melvyn Stiriss

Soon To Be a TV Series
Voluntary Peasants/Life Inside the Ultimate American Commune: THE FARM, is bursting with true, far-out sixties stories—cool adventures, good vibes, warmth, humor. Entertaining and uplifting. The psychedelic sixties come alive in this multi-level history/memoir, written by a journalist who dropped out to live the story of the times and seek enlightenment.

An extraordinary journey from Greenwich Village beatniks in the ‘50s into the psychedelic ‘60s and ‘70s—heady, revolutionary times—times rich in lessons that can possibly help us now.

This book, Prologue to Voluntary Peasants, is the author’s back story entitled: Enlightenment What’s It Good For.

Melvyn was born in New York City, raised in Edgewater, New Jersey, attended the University of Richmond, was a newspaper and UPI wire service reporter and editor. These are his far-out adventures coming of age, going with the flow—riding a powerful wave of energy that raised consciousness and shattered conventional paradigms around the world.

After attending Woodstock, Melvyn followed the energy to San Francisco, sampled the spiritual smorgasbord of swamis, yogis, gurus and chose to follow hippie “self-realized spiritual teacher” Stephen Gaskin on a round-the-country, 100-colorful hippie bus caravan. Hop on a fun hippie bus and journey to Tennessee to begin a new life and a new lifestyle, a lifestyle the world can afford.

Voluntary Peasants conveys sixties energy, vibes, mindscape and philosophy. Beyond sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll—beyond hippies, true tales of a remarkable experiment in collective living as thousands of high-minded people join forces, pool resources and attempt to create a gracious, meaningful, sustainable lifestyle the world can afford.

Leave the ordinary. Let your head soar free and take a trip—an extraordinary journey from Greenwich Village in the ‘50s through the psychedelic ‘60s and ‘70s—high adventures, true tales channeling heady, revolutionary times, providing some insight to today’s times.

Voluntary Peasants is available as a 422-page paperback with 40 photos only at www.voluntarypeasants.com. Voluntary Peasants will soon be available as an audiobook.
Includes the author’s backstory: Enlightenment/What’s It Good For
Voluntary Peasants is also available as an Audiobook at Amazon’s Audible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melvyn Stiriss
• Release date: Aug 31, 2020

Melvyn Stiriss

Storyteller, humorist, artist, musician, naturalist, back porch philosopher—Melvyn Stiriss was born in New York City in 1942, raised in Edgewater, New Jersey and attended the University of Richmond. Melvyn worked as a newspaper reporter in New Jersey and as a reporter, editor, and announcer for United Press International wire service in New York and Chicago.Melvyn worked a stint as a Madison Avenue publicist, a “Mad Man,” went to Woodstock, “dropped out” and followed “the powerful mysterious energy of the time”—over the edge, out of the box and into the heart of the cultural revolution—San Francisco,” where the young seeker found a weed-smoking “psychedelic Zen guru,” Stephen Gaskin. Melvyn joined Gaskin’s cannabis peace and truth church and became a founder and long-term resident member of Gaskin’s collective community in Summertown, Tennessee—The Farm.Living at The Farm, Melvyn worked as a farmer, carpenter, mason, vegan chef, miller, head baker, gatekeeper, newspaper editor and worked thirteen months in Guatemala doing volunteer earthquake reconstruction work with a team from the community and Mayans, building rural schools, clinics, houses and a health center for Mother Teresa.After leaving the community in 1984, Melvyn moved to Austin, Texas where he worked as a carpenter, co-director of Casa Marianela refuge, taught vegan cooking and worked in a dozen movies in various capacities—carpenter, set dresser, prop maker, locations, craft service and as an extra. Melvyn now lives in upstate New York, writes, hikes, plays keyboard and speaks around the country.

Book preview

Voluntary Peasants

Life Inside the Ultimate Sixties Commune

Part 4—Hippie Peace Corps Goes to Guatemala, 1976—`77

By

Melvyn Stiriss

A journalist who followed the sixties searching for enlightenment

Copyright © 2018

New Beat Books

Warwick, New York

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 ¡Terremoto! Earthquake!

Chapter 2 First Contact—Cloud People of Chimachoy

Chapter 3 Good Karma Work

Chapter 4 Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Chapter 5 San Andrés Itzapa Base

Chapter 6 Adiós a Guatemala

Note: This is Part 4 of a five-part series.

Previously, the community has grown to 750, built a town and created a humanitarian non-profit NGO to help out in the world.

chapter 1

¡Terremoto! Earthquake!

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.—Albert Einstein

FEBRUARY 4, 1976—IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT—a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake rocked the Central American country of Guatemala—destroying thousands of homes, tearing up infrastructure, burying major roads, taking 23,000 lives and leaving thousands injured and homeless.

Farm ham radio operators picked up distress calls from Guatemala and informed Stephen. Stephen decided this was a perfect opportunity for Plenty to swing into action, do some good and become Plenty International, the Hippie Peace Corps.

Plenty Director Paisley Pete and his wife Priscilla, a nurse, flew to Guatemala, bringing a donated EKG machine and other medical supplies, and getting a firsthand look at the situation.

When they returned, Peter spoke at services and presented the heart-wrenching plight of poor people, many Mayans, living in makeshift tin and plastic shelters, desperately struggling for basic survival. He recommended the community send carpenters to build houses before the rainy season.

Next day I was doing gate, got to thinking and decided to volunteer to go to Guatemala. I called Peter, reminded him I was a carpenter, told him I knew some Spanish, and I volunteered to go. Peter said he had a full crew, and I thought,

Not my karma. I guess my motives were not pure enough. Maybe I was more interested in getting out of here than helping people. So I dropped the idea and went about my business.

At the end of my shift I headed home on foot because the Gate van was in the Motor Pool for repairs. It was a rainy day, and I was sloshing along our muddy main road in poncho and galoshes, when Stephen came along in his car. He stopped, rolled down his window and asked,

You going to Guatemala?

No Stephen. I volunteered, but Peter said he has a full crew.

"That was before I talked to him. Peter’s in that truck behind me. Go talk to Peter." Stephen shot me a knowing look and drove off.

I hailed Peter. He stopped, rolled down his window and confirmed it was true—I was going to Guatemala! In a week! Holy smoke! Guatemala. From that moment on, the action and my consciousness picked up big time. Rising to the occasion, I found myself fully engaged, making every moment count.

I spent that week getting ready and soaking up, with renewed appreciation, all the taken-for-granted Farm people, Farm ways, food and the comfort and security of our numbers and mutual love and support.

Guatemala did not require a passport, but international travel does present the need for some ID, and I had zip! Peter gave me a Plenty photo ID, and I went to the Motor Vehicle Department to get my driver’s license, where I was surprised to run into Ina May, also there for her license. She seemed glad to see me and perhaps felt safer having a Farm man around. In this setting, we shared a level playing field. We would both take the same test. We exchanged brief pleasantries, and Ina May wished me luck in Guatemala. I got my license, and so did she.

I began a Spanish vocabulary list:

I’m vegetarian. I don’t eat meat, fish, eggs or chicken.

Soy vegetariano. No como carne, pescados, huevos ni pollo.

I eat beans, rice and vegetables. = Yo como frijoles, arroz y vegetales.

Is there lard in the beans? = Hay manteca en los frijoles?