reply:introduction
From: Diane Q Simpson (dqsworld.std.com)
Date: Thu, 4 Aug 94 22:21 CDT
I would just like to respond to your introduction by saying "thanks for 
an articulate and eloquent post." I intend to read the book you recommended 
in order to learn more about the sociological dynamics behind cohousing.
I suppose I should introduce myself, also. I am Diane Simpson, a fellow 
would-be cohouser, although I am not much help to you in your particular 
situation because I live in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston. My 
husband and I have lived in the same apartment for seventeen years and he 
is very committed to urban living. So, a move to a suburban cohousing 
community is not in the cards for us right now, and I don't think it ever 
will be unless he gets an  irresistible offer for a job outside of the 
Boston area. I am a free-lance  graphic designer and can work just about 
anywhere, but he is an archivist and  there aren't too many archival 
opportunities out in suburbia land.
So, why am I writing this then if I don't have any brilliant words of wisdom?
Because I think that merely by posting a message and letting people know 
you're out there, it does some good. Maybe somone out there will see my message 
and say "Aha! Jamaica Plain! I always wanted to live in a cohousing 
development in  lovely Jamaica Plain!" and they will get in touch with me 
and we'll start a  group. I have been reading the cohousing list for a 
couple of weeks now to get  an idea of the problems I'll be up against if 
I do start a group. I'm relatively new to this whole idea, but like you, 
once I read about it, it really hit a nerve.
I hope you will succeed in eventually getting into a group, but I just 
want  to say Q don't give up! If I were you I think I would try to plant 
the idea  in people's minds that this form of living arrangement is a 
great thing.That  way, maybe you can stir up enough interest in it to get 
a group together in  Littleton. I have found from talking to people about 
cohousing that they  usually are quite receptive to the idea, but, 
unfortunately, too few people have heard  about it because they are 
still stuck in the single  family mentality. Social clubs, church groups, 
political organizations, professional organizations, user 
groups, online services...these are all potential sources of cohousing 
members and I would use them to their full potential if you belong to any of 
these groups. Don't forget about writing letters to the editor about cohousing 
( and how it is the answer to many social ills) if you see an opportunity. (I 
used to work in a public relations office and we would use any sneaky trick we 
could think of to publicize our clients.) Do the same for cohousing! The more 
people in your area that know about it the better!
So, good luck, hang in there, and I hope to see you on the list again 
someday as a cohousing resident in Boxboro!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Diane Simpson 
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