Cohousing-L Mailing List: Differences in income/work effort are OK

[Rob Sandelin (floriferous]

In the recent threads about work, servants, etc. there is a common notion
which I would like to try to debunk, the notion that it has to be equal.
Baloney! Insisting upon equality of contribution is not necessarily a good
thing, and making the lowest common equal denominator of money or time the
balancing point is a bad idea. Let those with more time, interest, energy
and money do more. Its ok. It works out best if you get good at saying thank
you when people contribute. Encourage donations. Encourage unbridled
volunteerism and don't get hung up that everybody has to do the same amount
or pay the same amount. People who whine about it being unfair should just
stop contributing more than they want to. Encourage those who do, to step
up.

It should be OK for the group to pass the hat and then count up what you
get, then ask for more and see what you get. You might be surprised. If you
measure common element success by the hours of use, then the playground at
Sharingwood is clearly our most successful common element. The entire cost
and energy to build it came from volunteer donations of money ($600) and
time. But I can count on the fingers of my hands who was involved. And it
does not matter in the least to the children, they just share the happiness
of having it, and that, is what matters.

When you can give service to another, and do so truly anonymously, where you
honestly expect no return, nor any recognition, then you have acheived a big
step towards enlightenment, and the world changes and becomes better.


Rob Sandelin
Northwest Intentional Communties Association
Building a better society, one neighborhood at a time