Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Thoughts

[R Philip Dowds (rpdowds]

We're all in a lot of trouble:  Grossly unequal distribution of wealth and 
income, partly because the oligarchs have captured Washington, while most 
voters are watching reality TV shows.  Anthropogenic climate change and 
despoilation of natural habitat; reverse evolution and despeciation.  Failure 
to solve the geopolitical conflicts of the Middle East, which have evolved to 
be an international disgrace of horrific proportions.  Not enough parking.  
Ever.

There is no doubt in my mind that many cohousing residents have made individual 
commitments to work on some aspects of one or more of these challenges, or of 
similar challenges.  But if a cohousing community as an institution has not yet 
adopted one or more of these challenges into its mission, then maybe it's not a 
tragic failure.  Maybe having friends you understand, like and trust, and a 
communal approach to child-raising, makes a pretty good mission all by itself.  
Maybe learning how to do consensus, and how to share, are challenges enough, 
without tackling peace in the Middle East.

But I am inclined to agree that cohousing can easily turn insular, isolating 
itself from the affairs of its neighbors, and the interests of the larger 
community.

RPD

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 7, 2013, at 8:45 AM, MJWB <mjwyogini [at] yahoo.com> wrote:

> 
> Hi folks!
> 
>     You know, this has been bothering me. Many (not all) of the Cohousing 
> Communities
> 
> we have explored have this attitude of "we're too expensive for you, no 
> apologies, or explanations, it ...
> 
>