Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: sweat equity

[Kevin Wolf (kjwolf]

This issue of burn-out and overwork is important.  One of the strengths 
of N Street is that we have not been faced with deadlines that require 
enormous amount of work.  We have had the luxury of setting work details 
when we are ready, when it works for us.  We are good at putting things 
off.  And we have the luxury of doing this because we are essentially 
happy and satisfied as we presently are and don't feel the need to "be 
better".

If you can at all put work off in the early stages of building a 
co-housing community, I would urge you to do it.  You'll live together 
for decades.  its the living together, enjoying one another that is 
impoortant.  If it is not essential, I would postpone it until your group 
is overwhelmingly ready to do the work.  You already have so much to do 
to just move in.

Good luck.  And remember  the essentials.
---
Kevin Wolf
724 N St
Davis, CA 95616
phone and fax: 916-758-4211

On Wed, 10 Aug 1994, Judy wrote:

> David Hungerford recently wrote :
> 
> The recent discussions on sweat equity bring to mind some experiences we at 
> Muir Commons have had.  ..... 
> (and gave us a lot of detail)
> "I do believe that the experience  deeply damaged our community. Maybe we
> shouldn't have taken on such a big  task.  Maybe we expected too much of
> ourselves.  Maybe we should have  realized at the beginning that what's
> equitable is not always the same as  what is equal (e.g. work hours)."
> 
> David: - thank you, thank you for all that you wrote.  I plan to post it on 
> our
> bulletin board, as it seems very relevant to our group.  I have noticed for a
> while that our group tends to reject paying for services in favor of do it
> ourselves, for good reasons, mostly money.  And there are lots of
> super-responsible people  (not all, to be sure).  But I am concerned about the
> levels of stress and burnout I see.  It really helps to have some cautionary
> examples.  
> 
> I'm so glad we have this net.
> 
> Judy Baxter, Monterey Cohousing Community, (MoCoCo)
> Twin Cities Area, Minneapolis/St.Paul Minnesota
> e-mail:       baxter [at] epivax.epi.umn.edu
> 
> 
>