I've been living in an intentional community for the past 13 years. That means I have 15 neighbors in my cohousing complex. We own our condos, but have agreed to share in the upkeep and maintenance of the jointly owned spaces like the common house and the exterior courtyard.
If I've learned anything it was what the Lenten lesson teaches today about treating your neighbors like I want to be treated.
For the most part, I've found that to be true, but because of self-interests, those sometimes have more importance than the good of the whole.
When I lived in cookie-cutter neighborhoods, I got to know the people on either side and maybe across the street or across the back alley.
The suburbs arose after World War II when soldiers returned and were provided benefits through the G.I. Bill that included a new home. Back then, there were neighborhood schools and all the kids knew each other and therefore so did their parents.
Neighborhoods were once very cohesive because all the households were of the same age.
These days, "regular" neighborhoods are divergent. Kids "choice" into schools sometimes miles away. Kids don't hang around like in the olden days and neighborhoods have become much more inward looking.
Cohousing communities reimagine traditional cohesive neighborhoods. We're each expected to take on some activities. I happen to be on the finance team. There are others who do more than expected which causes problems.
I avoid mixing community business with my person business. That way, I treat all my neighbors the same and don't like to socialize with very few of them.
— alanohashi
If I've learned anything it was what the Lenten lesson teaches today about treating your neighbors like I want to be treated.
For the most part, I've found that to be true, but because of self-interests, those sometimes have more importance than the good of the whole.
When I lived in cookie-cutter neighborhoods, I got to know the people on either side and maybe across the street or across the back alley.
The suburbs arose after World War II when soldiers returned and were provided benefits through the G.I. Bill that included a new home. Back then, there were neighborhood schools and all the kids knew each other and therefore so did their parents.
Neighborhoods were once very cohesive because all the households were of the same age.
These days, "regular" neighborhoods are divergent. Kids "choice" into schools sometimes miles away. Kids don't hang around like in the olden days and neighborhoods have become much more inward looking.
Cohousing communities reimagine traditional cohesive neighborhoods. We're each expected to take on some activities. I happen to be on the finance team. There are others who do more than expected which causes problems.
I avoid mixing community business with my person business. That way, I treat all my neighbors the same and don't like to socialize with very few of them.
— alanohashi
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