Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: On being too close for comfort

[Liz Stevenson (lilbert]

Boleyn, Julie wrote:
> 
> I'm just postulating here, but I think each cohousing group is likely to
> have a very different character. 
You are absolutely right. Our group is much less touchy-feely, and I
have requested when we have our yearly big meetings not to have that
sort of thing because it feels like a waste of time to me. There are
lots of ways that we share our lives, and I much prefer the spontaneity
rather than ritualized force-feeding. The differences between groups is
something that a friend and I were just discussing this morning while
doing laundry (which could be called the sharing room, because it's
where alot of us end up socializing). I sometimes get the feeling that
people who don't have any experience meeting different cohousing groups
think that it is a monolithic idea to which we all subscribe. There is a
very different feel to different groups and even every community has
individuals who see things very differently. It seems like an obvious
thing to say, but it bears repeating. If you don't feel comfortable with
a group of people, it doesn't necessarily mean that cohousing is not for
you, it just means that you are not comfortable with that group. 
Liz