This place is beautiful. The walk through the outskirts of town (with the glissading descent from the top of the dune-hill), today’s climb up the redwood tree, sitting by the Creek with Hannah, dinner and musical theater all added up to a beautiful day.
Sat in on the house meeting today and was able to communicate my mission to the collective whole. Namely: to learn about and spread knowledge of the ways that communities are living across the country; their challenges, and their solutions. The goal is to learn/teach (I wish there was a word for that) about living communally.
First off, what is communal living? I mean that scenario where you’re living with 4 of your friends in a 4 bedroom house and only 2 of you have jobs. I mean the place where there are 12 “residents” and 20 “guests” and no one’s really clear on who’s who. I mean the apartment complex with the courtyard community garden and onsite worm-farm composting. All of these are examples of communal living. They have their differences, as all communities are bound to have, given that they are made up of unique individuals, but they tend to have a core of common values that keep them in the same space.
Why is it that I think that communal living is a skill worth teaching? That’s probably a book-worth of explanation, but the simple answer is because I believe that communal living is the way that people will have to live if we are to continue living on this planet in health and happiness. For the next 500 years. For the next 20 years. Hell, even for the next 5 years.
I also believe that more and more people are choosing to live communally. Perhaps out of necessity, perhaps because they find themselves happier. Sadder too, but definitely happier.
I don’t know. All I know is that I wish I had a camera. The amount of pictures to add to these words that I wish I had…phew!
Time to manifest one.
From Swords to Plowshares 