Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cohousing stories needed

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Nov 20, 2017, at 8:07 PM, Linda Hobbet <linda [at] hobbeton.com> wrote:
> 
> it would really help to have little snippets and stories that will give a 
> feeling for what it's like to live in cohousing. I looked in the collection 
> of stories in the archives but most of them are about kids and parenting. We 
> are a senior community, so that's not what we need. Names of people and 
> communities are optional.
> 
> Awhile ago someone wrote about getting soup when she was sick, even from a 
> member she didn't get along with all that well. I loved the story but I can't 
> find it now. It doesn't such a good job of answering a frequent question 
> about what if you don't like everyone.

This is the soup story along with another one:

SOUP

One aspect I forgot — people borrowing things. Except for my immediate neighbor 
no one comes knocking on my door asking to borrow this or that. We use email or 
at least that I’m aware of. 

Does anyone have a tablespoon of curry powder? an extra onion? A camping light 
I can use for the weekend? Borrow a car? Watch Jovan this afternoon for an 
hour? Walk my dog tomorrow? Pick up some items at the grocery store when you 
go? Help me carry boxes from my car?

If all those people knocked on doors I think everyone would go nuts but on 
email people can respond only if they can do what is asked, and ask if it is 
still needed.

My daughter was amazed when she came to stay with me for a week after surgery 
last winter that so many people did come to the door. But they were bringing 
food and other items they knew I needed. Or asking to empty the trash since 
they were going that way. My daughter said you have so many friends! Some of 
those people didn’t even like me much. But I got soup. 

WALKER

Almost two years ago, I was suddenly struck by severe pain and was unable to 
walk. I had been on a new exercise effort and thought it was a muscle and I 
needed to rest. It turned out to be a pinched nerve in my back but it took me 
weeks to find that out. I didn’t even know what kind of doctor to call. The 
pain was intense but it’s origin unclear. In the meantime, I was trying this 
and that to see what might work.

It suddenly occurred to me that a walker might help. We have a stash of medical 
equipment in the basement — crutches, ankle boots, shower aids, etc—but I 
didn’t know if we had a walker.  I wasn’t in any condition to walk to the 
basement just to find that we didn’t have one and it was 2am. I put out an 
email asking for a walker and went back to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning there was a walker sitting by my bed sparkling 
in the morning sunshine. It felt like being touched by an angel.

I thanked an unknown person on email and got the earthly story. Since I 
couldn’t easily get up to answer the door I just left it unlocked. Kathryn was 
usually up at 2am and saw my email. She thought it might be an emergency so she 
went to the CH basement, found a walker, and brought it up.

——

On yesterday’s post about architecture and community — I think it made all the 
difference that we live close to each other. Kathryn was up and she lives on 
the third floor by the elevator to the basement, and I live on the second floor 
on the other side of the elevator. She didn’t have to go outside except to 
cross a hallway. Architecture can make community easier.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org