Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Too close for comfort....maybe

[Roman Bitner (lilbert]

Pablo Halpern wrote:

> One possibility for why you were uncomfortable is that you were a newcomer
> to a group that had already developed a certain level of intimacy. Our group
> has struggled at times to integrate new people when the rest of the group
> had been together for a long time. We never really did figure it out. The
> group you're describing might be having a similar problem. If this is the
> case, ask for help and you might develop more comfort as time goes on.
Good point. We have had this problem too, and have reinstituted a buddy
program that we had had when we were still in development. New people
have a buddy who is available to answer questions which they may feel
uncomfortable asking or just bring them up to speed on things. A person
might feel dumb asking repeated questions, and the buddy system
institutionalizes it and makes it ok. 
Liz"ignore that other name my husband keeps putting on the
mail"Stevenson
Southside Park Cohousing
Sacramento