Cohousing-L Mailing List: Culture

[Jerry Callen (jcallen]

   From: William Johnson <0005638134 [at] mcimail.com>

   It appears that CoHousers are called upon to spend REAL time and money
   on principles that are not universally held -- principles that rarely
   get more than lip service in other contexts.  The level of sharing,
   mutual concern, and desire for consensus among CoHousers seems
   "inconsistent" with the rest of the world.

Hmmm. I don't think it's so much that "the rest of the world" is less
interested in sharing, mutual concern and all that. Rather, cohousing
provides a framework in which people feel SAFE to express a fairly common
desire to share and take care of each other.

Perhaps most people working toward cohousing have had some successful
experience of living in community (a college dorm, a group house, etc.)
that has shown them a glimpse of just how GOOD a community can be. I know
that this is the case for many of the folks that have been associated with
Rose Tree at one time or another.

The point I'm trying to make is that, at least for me, the desire to live
in cohousing isn't motivated so much by any particular "principles" as by
enlightened self-interest. Anyone who knows me well can surely testify as
to my lack of principles. :-)

-- Jerry