Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Communities of Communities

[Patrick Bennett (patrick_bennett]

>What could change?  How about this -- What if we could redirect the will 
>to reproduce; raise it to a higher level; transform it into the will to 
>reproduce successful community life, to spin off new communities from 
>parent communities?  If we could be inspired to expend as much effort 
>and material resources raising new communities as we do raising 
>(excess) children, what might happen then?  There's far too little left 
>to offer children on this planet (at the moment).  It would become a better 
>place quickly though, if we could bring more people together in community 
>and reduce the waste generated by greed, alienation and excessive 
>competition between individuals.  Perhaps someday, we could provide a 
>dream without disappointment for children of the future.  The whole way we 
>conduct human life on earth, though, would have to become sustainable 
>first.  Through conscious creation and re-creation of community, I think 
>we can get there.

I never thought of a community that way, but you are right that they are
like children.  They are born, struggle a little growing up, and mature.
(One differnece is that the physical body of a community does not
necessarily die, as a human does.  It is re-born with every new generation).
If we were to look at developing a community as though it were a process
we could apply parenting concepts to, we might be able to create better
communities.  I almost think it would actually be more like raising
animals, since we would need to look at the concept of cross-breeding
(sharing of ideas and leadership based on traits which promote the success
of a community (keeping in mind that oranges don't grow well in Montana))

>Another dream from a dreamer, and a pragmatist, and a hopeful soul with 
>eyes wide open.
>
>=========================================================================
>Susan E Johnston - Flying Fish Private Expeditions Inc - sjohnsto [at] wln.com
>(35-year old solo nomad until mid-96 then a 36-year old community seeker)
>                         Have a defining moment.
>=========================================================================

Patrick

P.S.  By way of introduction, you will notice that my addr and .sig say
I work at StorageTek (a computer storage manufacturer).  My interest in
cohousing comes from my college training as an Urban Planner.  I just
figured I can make more money (for now) in programming, which I am
moderately good at.  Once my wife has her degree and a stable job (and
we have had most of the children we intend on having), I hope to get back
into community/city planning.  I program for fun, but my involvement in
communities is my hope for the future.
___________________________________________________________________
Patrick R. Bennett   patrick_bennett [at] stortek.com     (303) 673-6379
Storage Technologies Inc. Customer Emulation Lab.
University of Colorado Environmental Design CAD Research Lab.