Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Re:Community and Boundaries

[Robyn Williams (zen]

> Where are the boundaries? Can a group be a group with no boundaries.

Having progressed our selection criteria to one of informed self-selection
and one question, 'Is there any reason why this person should not be a
member?', I'm now toying with the concept of membership, as in not having
any.  I'm interested in openness and generosity.

However, inclusivity, or the opportunity, doesn't mean that everyone needs
to know everything about everyone.  I would be cheesed off if our internal
email discussion list was opened up to everyone - it's more a matter of
context and effectiveness than exclusiveness. Private is fine.

I remember a comic song by Shelley Berman from when I was a kid - it's
message has served me well:  "you've gotta have skin, ....la,la,la...,
(something about) it's the only thing that keeps your insides in".  Skin is
a semi-permeable membrane.  Look at nature, the concepts of deep ecology.
My door is (literally) open to the world.  However this is still my home, my
skin - sometimes I lock my door.  That's privacy, not segregation.  I feel
the same about my community.

Ask the people with the fear how they deal with this issue at a personal
level.  It can be a reality check to take the big issues back to the
personal.  I'm often amused by the frequency of disparity in what we say or
promote and what we actually do.

Warmest regards
Robyn Williams
Pinakarri Community
Fremantle, Western Australia