Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Community within community?

[Robyn Williams (pov]

> As long as the communities are open to anyone in the larger community,
this
> is not only healthy but inevitable.

Sub-communities here range from people who gravitate together as 'natural'
friends, activists (usually one key person plus others depending on the
cause), parents with boys do car sharing to school (for some reason the
girls catch the bus).  The people with like-aged/gendered children have
reciprocal childcare arrangements, the lesbian women socialise. There are
several people with whom I've never cooked community dinner and some who I'd
be hard pressed to have more than a passing conversation with; we have very
little in common with each other than our involvement and commitment to this
community.

Some people seem to know what's going on around the place.  One woman
enjoying her new relationship was shocked to realise that I hadn't heard
about it some months later.  She said, "You're obviously not part of the
Pinakarri gossip vine."  There are like-minded people, who tend to be part
of a social/political clique which can solidify around some issues.  It can
be annoying when the position is self-serving and it's an expression of
where our level of co-operacy is at, but at least it's 'out'.

I consider not being part of everything an indicator of real community.
It's not that I don't experience a twinge of disappointment sometimes,
however I also feel relief.  And not being included isn't the same as being
excluded.

Regards
Robyn Williams
Pinakarri Community
Fremantle, Western Australia


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