Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: COVID divisions

[b farris (btgf]

Alan,
How do you handle resentment toward the anti-maskers?
Izzy

> On Aug 16, 2021, at 5:26 AM, Elizabeth Magill <pastorlizm [at] gmail.com> 
> wrote:
> 
> Also the larger view of "these smart people do the right thing" and "those
> dumb people do the wrong thing" hides the disagreements among people who
> are supposedly in the right camp.
> 
> In our community most of the disagreement is between people who want to be
> "very strict" and those who want to be only "strict". Or as, those of us in
> the second group say "reasonable" or "follow the science" or "avoid
> performative behaviors", which for those of us in that group turns out to
> be "not like those crazy extremists".
> (As far as we know all eligible adults are vaccinated, but we don't ask any
> individuals to share medical information.)
> 
> So I don't think that any group is going to avoid conflict around a hard
> and changing situation.
> 
> What we have done successfully is ask "how can we meet the most people's
> needs as possible."
> So for example, we didn't close the common house, but did require that
> everyone who uses any room sign up for it. That way others who are more
> strict can see if anyone else was in a room and do any cleaning/airing
> out/wait time that meets their needs.
> The strictest folk, of course, do not use the common house, but there is no
> reason (in our community) for the more moderate of us to not use it.
> And then it turned out the strictest folk wanted to know that there was
> never anyone in the mailroom at any time without a mask. So they asked for
> that and people--some who agree, some who do not--all agreed to wear masks
> in the mailroom to meet that families concerns.
> 
> Which I suppose is a long way to agree with Alan's idea of secret sauce.
> Our goal wasn't to find agreement on what is the right thing to do, but
> rather to find a point where each individual in our community can do what
> is right for them.
> 
> -Liz
> (The Rev. Dr.) Elizabeth Mae Magill
> Pastor, Ashburnham Community Church
> Minister to the Affiliates, Ecclesia Ministries
> www.elizabethmaemagill.com
> 508-450-0431
> 
> 
>> On Mon, Aug 16, 2021 at 8:41 AM Alan O'Hashi via Cohousing-L <
>> cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org> wrote:
>> 
>> The COVID-21 topic is one that tests a forming community. It is an issue
>> that summarizes what the cohousing secret sauce is all about. One of the
>> reasons why cohousing isn't popping up on every street corner is the basic
>> secret sauce ingredient, which is shedding the American Way as it has been
>> pounded into our heads since we popped out of the womb.
>> 
>> What society tells us is that we are rugged individuals who can make our
>> own choices and don't need help from others. Cohousing secret sauce is the
>> opposite, we give up individual liberty for the good of the whole, albeit,
>> there's a gray-area balancing zone, which is where community COVID policies
>> fall.
>> 
>> I read the original post about 60percent think x and 40percent think y and
>> why can't the y-thinkers just cave to the 60percent. In cohousing, the
>> majority rule, win by one means of decision making is tossed out the window.
>> 
>> When you find yourself lapsing back into the American Way, take a step
>> back. In a consensus community, the question is, What is the x-thinkers
>> willing to give up to bring the y-thinkers into the whole? This doesn't
>> mean that the y-thinkers can block a decision based on individual
>> discomfort or self-serving perspectives. The y-thinkers must frame their
>> objections in terms of how their view is a community issue.
>> 
>> When COVID first hit, my place -- I imagine like most communities -- are
>> microcosms of the outside world. We have/had a Dr. Google, MD who had all
>> the answers, was an anti masker he also had a nurse practitioner or two who
>> carried around his medical bag.
>> 
>> Where we landed was, a resident didn't have to wear a mask, but had to
>> have one on their person if they encountered anyone in the outdoor common
>> spaces. The anti maskers were okay with social distancing. We were
>> universally in agreement to close the common house. The main issue was the
>> arrogance, more than the actual mask issue.
>> 
>> While it is not talked about, in my view, we are now gearing up for the
>> next wave.
>> 
>> Thx
>> 
>> Alan O
>> 
>> 
>> Alan O'Hashi
>> Get Up Off the Couch
>> www.alanohashi.com
>> www.getupoffthecouch.comCO: 303-910-5782 ....WY: 307-316-2113 ..NE:
>> 402-327-1652 ....
>> 
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