intentional
Jul. 26th, 2003 09:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brightbluegirlApparently taking a few days off from our running schedule is really good for me, because this morning we shaved 8 minutes off our time, even with my fancy new running shorts riding up my butt.
Afterwards we did a good 40 minute weight-lifting session, and after the normal morning ablutions and a tasty fruit smoothie served to me by an even tastier man, I biked to work whilst listening to electroclash.
Today I am vital and alive, brilliant and clear, and oh-so-proud.
Wil Wheaton rocks my world. Seriously. I re-found his blog yesterday, and I can't believe I ever lost it.
I absolutely adore the way he writes. I love how alive he is, his humour, his sensitivity, his just plain realness.
He is one of my new favorite people.
Last night, on our walk down to the co-op for bananas and soy milk, Andrew and I talked again about intentional communities, and how we could realistically create one that works.
When I hear about intentional communities that fail, generally they fail because the people in the community had their heads firmly up their butts, so far as the worldly specifics go.
For example - I know of several people who talk about wanting to live in intentional communities, but who don't follow basic rules of respect and human interaction, for example, a fellow who lost a cd of mine and didn't even apologize (much less offer to replace it), or a woman who is consistantly late to professional appointments, but never takes responsibility for it, and instead says things like "oh, that person doesn't like lateness" as the answer to the conflicts her lateness causes. (These are small examples, but I think they give the idea)
I feel that when you're living in close contact with people, you need to respect them implicitly and explicitly. We need certain guidelines to go by, and of course, a group of people that honestly feel similarly about those guidelines.
It's all well and good to say "Material things don't matter", but that doesn't mean to say you can disrespect a person by breaking/losing/giving away something they use, and not offering to fix/replace it, imho. And when you're living in a world that uses time as an indicator, it's all well and good to say "time is just an artifical creation that stresses us out, man, it doesn't matter", but when it comes to meeting your doctor or going to work, THEY use the idea of time, so be respectful and appear on time.
But that's just me, you know? So I'm only interested in living in an intentional community with people who feel the same way about those and other issues, or who at least could respect my wishes about those issues, and not resent me or create resentment in me.
So we talked some about how we'd like to do it. I would like to buy some land in a country that has relatively good relations with it's citizens - I suggested Canada, he suggested the Netherlands. I would also like to have separate space for each person/family, so that it's more like a close neighbourhood instead of dorms.
I like my space. I like creating my space, closing the door on my space, having the ability to say no to you coming into my space, and even decorating my space. I like alone time, me time, and time with my lover with no-one else about.
But neighbourhoods are no longer a medium community for children to grow up in. We no longer have a village to raise our children. And I would like that. I would like to know everyone in my neighbourhood, know them well and love them. I would like a village of like-thinking and like-feeling individuals, who I know I can trust to care for my child when she is playing outside, or if I am sick, who I feel safe with and who feel safe with me.
THAT is my idea of an intentional community. I want it. It may never happen for me, but I feel very strongly about it.
Afterwards we did a good 40 minute weight-lifting session, and after the normal morning ablutions and a tasty fruit smoothie served to me by an even tastier man, I biked to work whilst listening to electroclash.
Today I am vital and alive, brilliant and clear, and oh-so-proud.
Wil Wheaton rocks my world. Seriously. I re-found his blog yesterday, and I can't believe I ever lost it.
I absolutely adore the way he writes. I love how alive he is, his humour, his sensitivity, his just plain realness.
He is one of my new favorite people.
Last night, on our walk down to the co-op for bananas and soy milk, Andrew and I talked again about intentional communities, and how we could realistically create one that works.
When I hear about intentional communities that fail, generally they fail because the people in the community had their heads firmly up their butts, so far as the worldly specifics go.
For example - I know of several people who talk about wanting to live in intentional communities, but who don't follow basic rules of respect and human interaction, for example, a fellow who lost a cd of mine and didn't even apologize (much less offer to replace it), or a woman who is consistantly late to professional appointments, but never takes responsibility for it, and instead says things like "oh, that person doesn't like lateness" as the answer to the conflicts her lateness causes. (These are small examples, but I think they give the idea)
I feel that when you're living in close contact with people, you need to respect them implicitly and explicitly. We need certain guidelines to go by, and of course, a group of people that honestly feel similarly about those guidelines.
It's all well and good to say "Material things don't matter", but that doesn't mean to say you can disrespect a person by breaking/losing/giving away something they use, and not offering to fix/replace it, imho. And when you're living in a world that uses time as an indicator, it's all well and good to say "time is just an artifical creation that stresses us out, man, it doesn't matter", but when it comes to meeting your doctor or going to work, THEY use the idea of time, so be respectful and appear on time.
But that's just me, you know? So I'm only interested in living in an intentional community with people who feel the same way about those and other issues, or who at least could respect my wishes about those issues, and not resent me or create resentment in me.
So we talked some about how we'd like to do it. I would like to buy some land in a country that has relatively good relations with it's citizens - I suggested Canada, he suggested the Netherlands. I would also like to have separate space for each person/family, so that it's more like a close neighbourhood instead of dorms.
I like my space. I like creating my space, closing the door on my space, having the ability to say no to you coming into my space, and even decorating my space. I like alone time, me time, and time with my lover with no-one else about.
But neighbourhoods are no longer a medium community for children to grow up in. We no longer have a village to raise our children. And I would like that. I would like to know everyone in my neighbourhood, know them well and love them. I would like a village of like-thinking and like-feeling individuals, who I know I can trust to care for my child when she is playing outside, or if I am sick, who I feel safe with and who feel safe with me.
THAT is my idea of an intentional community. I want it. It may never happen for me, but I feel very strongly about it.
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no subject
Date: 2003-07-26 10:58 am (UTC)Funny stuff...I may have to read him on a somewhat regular basis. :)
Wil Wheaton
Date: 2003-07-27 06:58 am (UTC)I saw the thing, and thought, "Holy crap, it's Wesley!" ~(c: ~ Youmna