Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: co-housing is not magic

[Ruth Chaet (rchaet]

-I hope Lynne doesn't mind but I printed out her letter to put on our
bulletin board.  We are in
the process of holding "conversations" in small groups. Our first year, here
at Westwood, was such a busy one, settling in, lots of sweat equity, only
half the group living here until September, 1998, that we had little time to
face up to questions about why we were here and what our expectations were.
Now that we are starting our third year, we are beginning to realize that we
have to take time to clarify our reasons for being here, what our
expectations were, where we are going, and all the nitty grtty of trying to
live in a group and trying to live by consensus.  It's a wonderful challenge
and one that will probably take much more than a year to face.  It's like
the song "getting to know you".  These small conversations are helping a lot
because we can be open and talk more deeply than in a large group.  The
groups meet 3 times, then other groups start, people go to more than one if
they like.  It's very fluid.
Ruth Chaet at Westwood CoHousing in Asheville, N.C., surrounded by our
beautiful mountains.