Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: shared work agreements in cohousing communities

[Saoirse (ccharis]

Actually, in our comm'ty, we have some "latitude" built in to the so-called
minimum requirements. We have discussed the idea of "trueing up" or "zeroing
out" (who knows what the most accurate term is) our agreement on the 4
hours/month minimum on both a quarterly and/or a yearly basis. That means
each member counts on a total of 48 hours per year or 12 hours per quarter.
And even so, we realize that life is what it is, and someone may want to
request an exemption for a period of time.

It's not really about making everyone work the same, or imposing an unreal
parameter on people. For me, it's more about asking everyone to commit a
minimum amount of time to the comm'ty, to make our comm'ty a priority within
the busy-ness of their individual lives.

For me, there's a value in knowing my fellow comm'ty members want to be part
of what we're creating. Contributions will always vary, and that's part of
the spice of life. It's not about making things equal. It is, in part, about
requesting that things be fair.

I see this as the same principle that applies in a partnership, in a family,
in any group of people living together in some manner.

I approach this topic somewhat tenderly. I appreciate the diversity on this
list and among the communities it represents. I have been blasted in the
past with arguments about why my thoughts are unreasonable and just plain
wrong (not on this list but on this topic). I need to feel comfortable
expressing my thoughts and feelings without fear of being blasted. My
request is that if you disagree, please express your thoughts in a way that
focuses on other ideas about what might work for you or for other
communities rather than your opinion of my (or my comm'ty's) rightness or
wrongness. Thanks!


Saoirse

-- 
Harmony Village Cohousing
Golden, Colorado
http://www.harmonyvillage.org