Can't find a community you're happy with? Consider starting your own.I have seen many letters from readers with very little money who want to know how to develop a self-reliant, homesteading lifestyle. One option is to join or form a community of like-minded people. I perused the International Communities Directory, but could not find the type of community I would be interested in joining. There was either a religious persuasion I wasn't interested in, a requirement for financial pooling of resources, or some other indication that a particular place wasn't for me. I found my intentional community intentional community n. A small, localized, often rural community of persons or families pursuing common interests or concentrating on certain basic values. in southern New Mexico New Mexico, state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at right angles; New Mexico is also bordered by Oklahoma (NE), Texas (E, S), and Mexico (S). by "accident" while traveling in the area. This particular community is loosely organized around an interest in alternative building methods, and non-mainstream lifestyles. It offers an interesting diversity of people, and inexpensive living. We have individual home sites on up to two lots each of which measures somewhere around 80 x 100--enough for a nice garden and/or some animals. There is a community center with kitchen, meeting room and tv, a washing machine (storage) washing machine - An old-style 14-inch hard disk in a floor-standing cabinet. So called because of the size of the cabinet and the "top-loading" access to the media packs - and, of course, they were always set on "spin cycle". , and showers for men and women. People can be as private as they wish, or enjoy having neighbors who will loan a tool, offer advice, or just be friendly. We have some 53 households, on and off grid, comprised of both singles and couples, mostly over the age of 40. Lots are $1,500 each and half down is required to move in once a person is approved for membership, with the balance (plus a community fee of $20/month) to be paid off at $50/month. I am telling you all this simply to provide one example of an intentional community; obviously there are many, many more. If you're not successful at finding a community already in progress that you want to join, consider starting one. A community, after all, is any two or more people who share somewhat the same values and vision. Living in a community is challenging because we are all different individuals, but even on days when I'd cheerfully strangle Strangle An options strategy where the investor holds a position in both a call and put with different strike prices but with the same maturity and underlying asset. This option strategy is profitable only if there are large movements in the price of the underlying asset. some of my fellow residents, I know that if they needed help I would be there for them and they'd be there for me. I have also learned a great deal from so many talented and resourceful people. My next door neighbor wrote a book on building with papercrete, and now works with Fibercon. I learned about raising my chicken flock from another, and shared studio space with a fellow artist. I appreciate the fact that last summer I could go back to North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. for a month and a neighbor took care of my animals, and when I returned, I found that some of my friends here had gotten together to build a real chicken coop COOP See Banks for Cooperatives (COOP). for my girls. There are a lot of advantages to a community. We squabble squab·ble intr.v. squab·bled, squab·bling, squab·bles To engage in a disagreeable argument, usually over a trivial matter; wrangle. See Synonyms at argue. n. A noisy quarrel, usually about a trivial matter. and bicker bick·er intr.v. bick·ered, bick·er·ing, bick·ers 1. To engage in a petty, bad-tempered quarrel; squabble. See Synonyms at argue. 2. , and we help and share and support. We are all, by nature, independent and self-reliant, but we are also a community of friends who help one another in countless ways. So homesteading, even on this small scale, doesn't have to be "either/or." It can be "and/too." Self-reliant and interconnected. LYNN FAULKNER, MSW (MicroSoft Word) See Microsoft Word. COLUMBUS, NM |
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