Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Possessions diffusing throughout the community

[Robert Hartman (hartman]

> ------------------------------
> 
> Date: Fri, 3 Jun 94 14:21:24 PDT
> From: stuarts [at] landau.ucdavis.edu (Stuart Staniford-Chen)
> To: cohousing-l [at] uci.com
> Subject: Possessions diffusing throughout community
> Message-ID: <9406032121.AA06668 [at] landau.ucdavis.edu>
> 
> 
>  ... We find that common house dishes and cutlery tend to migrate into
> our houses, and conversely that our crocks etc. move over to the common house,
> and then from there into other peoples houses.  

With respect to dishes, and such, I like what someone said about getting
enough to supply the common house fully.

One idea would be to keep a blackboard where people could make a list
of things they miss.  I think that people would generally be good about
returning something if they knew you missed it.

Another idea would be to have a regular "found items" exchange.  One
day a month, say the last Sunday, people could bring all the stuff in
their houses that "migrated" home with them to a common space, and
leave it there for the owners to claim.  This could even be held as
part of a larger community event like a party!

Philosophically, if I'm living long term with a bunch of people, and I
wind up feeling close to them and supported by them, I'm not sure I'd
mind too much if some of my things got passed around among them.

The things that I might not want to get passed around I'd have to mark or
attend to, or annouce that I want them back.

-r