RE: Rhapsodizing about Retrofit (Stu) | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Rob Sandelin (Floriferous![]() |
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Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 08:11:11 -0600 |
Stu said: As to whether it's riskier or not to try an N St style process - there isn't a simple answer. To my mind, it's a little less likely to lead to a successful community, but also much less personally risky for the people who try it. One thing I see happening in places, is that people get caught up in the often terrible development process, with its many risks, and crisis, and oh my god, what are we going to do now, sort of problems and they forget why they started on this adventure in the first place. The old, "when your up to your elbows in Alligators it's hard to remember your original idea was to drain the swamp" syndrome. The glue that holds you together as a group can grow brittle and crack. I see way too many groups focusing exclusively on all these niddly development problems, and then saying....Well, we'll do that community stuff after we move in. We don't have time to do it now. This is becoming a classic cohousing mistake folks. No matter what, you should have, AT MINIMUM, one party a month. Just get together, drink beers, eat cake (not at the same time...yech....) whatever, and spend time just being together as people. Have a glass of water handy with the rule that at the monthly social event anybody that talks shop gets doused with water. Remember your goal is to create a community, and that work, takes more than just creating buildings. Do maintenance on your relationships by just hanging out in somebodies kitchen and share your favorite story from grade school, or your favorite Bill Clinton joke, or some other random life thing. This social event will sell your community to new comers way more than any slide show, poster, or architectural plan. People are buying community, and sometimes, when groups are in development mode, new comers leave because there is no community visible at the stressed out meetings over development issues. Rob Sandelin Reeling from three parties in four days.
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Re: Rhapsodizing about Retrofit (Stu) Fred H. Olson, February 12 1998
- Re: Rhapsodizing about Retrofit (Stu) Sanda Everette, February 13 1998
- RE: Rhapsodizing about Retrofit (Stu) Rob Sandelin, February 16 1998
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