Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Senior-multigenerational dilemma - my view from the trenched

[Alan O'Hashi (adoecos]

at 63, i'm the third youngest member in a senior coho 'hood. i moved in at 56. 
here's some advice from the trenches.

starting out - be futurists. plan for an 'exit strategy' and be ready to evolve 
your initial beliefs about participatory community.

remember that in 10 years people who are young and active at 50 will be 60 and 
maybe pretty active. people who are 70 and sort of spry will be 80 and not so 
spry.

remember, there are multigenerational communities are evolving into senior 
communities. over time, multigen coho will have an easier time recruiting 
younger members.

while looking into the future, ask yourself, 'when i'm on my death bed will i 
be thinking, 'if only i went to one more meeting ... i wish i had eaten more 
potluck food'. i doubt it. i suggest planning for changes in personal 
priorities like traveling, spending more time with friends and family, which 
will likely take precedence over 'community' as initially envisioned.

also think about this scenario: when people die or move and you want to recruit 
younger members to pick up the slack of aging community members, how do you 
entice younger prospective buyers who may have grown kids but see reading 
glasses at every turn and only white haired people around the neighborhood a 
generation older than them?

Alan O'Hashi
Views from Behind the Lens
www.alanohashi.com
Colorado..303-910-5782
Wyoming 307-274-1910
Typos By iPhone