1.
Living in community offers security. You can
rely on your neighbors to help you, even when you don't
ask. This is huge for me, that my family is in a safe
and supportive place. My grandmother died recently,
my neighbors knew all about it, sent cards and sympathy
and support to my family. HER neighbors didn't even
know she was sick, most of them didn't even know her
name. How many of them could she ask to help?
2. Community
offers social opportunities. I can have wonderful and
meaningful interactions with people I like, who are
my neighbors, just by sitting out on my porch. I really
enjoy hanging out and talking with folks about everything,
politics, the news, kids. Sharing our histories and
ourselves grows a wonderful bond among us, I suppose
much like encounter groups do. I know more about my
neighbors history and lives and why they do things
like they do than I know about some of my family members.
3. Supportive
place for kids to grow up. Safe, lots of friends-both
other kids and adults. Kids can play and I know any
adult in the neighborhood will be there for them in
case of need. Fun place to be an adult, lots of play
opportunity with kids, and other adults.
4. Great place
to collaborate with people who share similar interests. Small
groups form revolving around shared common interests,
beer making, sewing, gardening, music, etc. I don't
have to "go" anywhere
to enjoy a beer making club, my neighbors and I can
do that. The common house is great for that.
5.
A sense of togetherness and belonging. I am part of something
that is really wonderful, it is a model for a better way to live, and
we all together are doing it. I can't explain this in words very well
but there is a strong feeling of happiness in me that comes from working
towards a common good that I used to get as a teacher and environmentalist,
and now get as I work with my neighbors on a variety of projects.
6.
A great restaurant in the middle of my neighborhood, called the common
house where I can go have dinner and great conversation with friends.
7.
Great place to learn new things.I always wanted to try making
beer. Having a couple of neighbors share that interest got me home brewing.
We learn and try new stuff all the time.
8.
A great place to share ownership of things that I couldn't
really afford myself, such as a workshop, play structure,
tools, library, etc.
9. Huge personal resources available.Want
to know about bee keeping? I go ask Mel, and get all
kinds of info. Having problems with my car? Mary knows
lots about such things. Want to build a shed? Bob can
give me advice, help me scrounge materials, hell, did
half the work one Saturday. A neighborhood like mine
is a collection of 26 lifetimes worth of experience
in all manner of things. What a treasure trove!
10.
Privacy. I get ALL the great benefits
of cooperative living, and also get huge amounts of
privacy, whenever I want just by going home and closing
the door or going into the 25 acres woods that surround
my house that everybody shares ownership of.
I would say the
$ value of all those things, to me, would be in the
million dollar range. My house cost me less than market
value to build and is worth way more than I paid for
it should I ever move to another community. Notice
I said move to another community. It is inconceivable
for me to ever move back to a "normal"
neighborhood, where everyone is a stranger
and I have to be afraid every time my kid goes out
the door.
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