Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Mt. Shasta CA Community Forming

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

Dave Adams
NWIS Cohousing wrote:

>I don't know who you are or what your relationship is to this endeavor, but
>you're knocking on the wrong doors mailing this to the CoHousing list.
>Cohousing is a concept in which people grow to know and love one another,
>and work together to build a community which works because of the closeness
>of its inhabitants.  A gated community with a recreational center and a
>private lake bought by a corporation and sold to strangers over a weekend
>does not constitute cohousing, has nothing to do with cohousing, and should
>be kept off of the cohousing list.

>This is just my opinion, of course, but I don't think it's mine alone.
___________________________

 One of the things I have observed in the last year is that cohousers 
and other forms of intentional community tend to view "those other 
people" in less than positive terms.  This of course is nothing new, 
people have done it to each other for ages and even within the 
communities movement different types of communities have ranked on each 
other for ages.  This makes me sad.  Being on the board of the 
Northwest Intentional Communities Association and being the primary 
energy of the Puget Sound Cohousing Network I walk in both worlds.  
There is a tremendous amount cohousing endeavors can and should learn 
from our brethren in the communes, the co-ops, the weirdo hippie 
religious retreat centers.  Closing the doors to other types of 
community in my experience is a huge mistake, because we know so little 
about what we are doing.  Maybe in twenty years cohousing will have 
enough experience and networking so that we understand how to work 
cooperatively, we understand group process and dynamics, we understand 
how to communicate fully, openly and honestly, all the time.

Until then, we should be humble enough to realize that there are others 
who have walked these paths before us and who, if we ask and listen, 
can tell us much of what lies ahead.

Although I have no personal interest in the Shasta Community, I am 
interested in all such endeavors and if having it on this mailing list 
helps support its happening I am personally in favor of it, and any 
others, being included.

Wisdom begins when you realize how little you really know.


Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood Cohousing