Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Sustaining Community Energy article by Annie Russell

[Rob Sandelin (floriferous]

While I thought Mary Annes Joyces list of energy sources and detractors was
excellent, I thought it overly focused on decision making and meetings. Once
you get past a couple years of residence, your community social interactions
seem to play a much larger role in overall relationships than decisions and
meetings. (At least I hope so for your sake) I would add to Mary Annes list:

Community energy builders:
Getting positive feedback when you volunteer for stuff.
Having your work in the community noticed in an appreciation
Having a heart to heart talk about your life with a neighbor that goes on
for 3 hours.
Putting out an email for some printer paper and finding a ream at your door
step 5 minutes later
Having a neighbor deliver hot homemade chicken soup when you have a nasty
cold.
Easily finding a car to borrow when yours won't start.
Hearing about a cool local insider art event at community dinner.
Seeing one of your old favorite sweat shirts, which you put in the clothing
exchange, being worn with pride by a neighborhood teenager who thinks it?s
the coolest.
Being asked by a neighborhood teenager for advice with their friend.
Going off to get the mail Saturday afternoon and not returning home till
dinner time.
Feeling exhausted from the days work, telling that to a neighbor, and
getting an immediate invite to dinner at their house.

After 15 years of life at Sharingwood, I could fill several pages of this
list. This stuff is just from the last 4 weeks. 


Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
Sharingwood Community, Snohomish County, WA
The Environmental Science School
http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm
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