Community Living

  Last night I watched something on Netflix called 'Happy.' It was amazing. I learned a lot  about happiness on all sorts of levels and am going to watch it again. However something that was once again impressed upon me is the impact that living in Community has on people. I firmly believe that people are not meant to live alone. I think people are meant to eat together and live life together in a way that our society just does not do. I think before and during the wars people were so united and had to live so differently because of their common heart for peace and freedom. However now our society (in North America) is so separate and focused on money and success (which does not bring happiness by the way). We also do not usually even consider having extended family live with us after a certain point. I feel like the families I have observed that get together often, help each other out no matter what, and stay in touch very regularly and people that have friends that they live life together with...are people that seem to do better in all areas of life. If you dont feel alone, if you feel validated, appreciated and loved and like you are living a life that matters....you are going to be happier! You just don't feel that if you are living an isolated life!
   I have spent time in a couple different community type settings in my life time. I know VERY clearly how imperfect it is and how much of a challenge it can be. However I think those issues can be relatively small compared to the benefits of being in community. My dream (and yes it will sound naive) is being able to buy a piece of land (not far from town and not a really large one) and having a house on it (not a big one but one that will fit our family forever), and another house for my parents, and then maybe building a community kitchen and bathrooms and having places for families to build some cabins and places to come camp sometimes if they wanted to. I would have some chickens (for eggs and meat), a goat or two (just to add some excitement and loudness and maybe milk), some beef cows and maybe a small horse. I would have a couple cats for the mice. This property would need some trees (for the kids to play in the forest and for wood for wood stoves) and a creek for wading in and having fun in. We could have a big garden in the summer and have community dinners at night so that only one family would have to cook one night a week or something. We could try to live simply and generously and allow our children to enjoy life outside where space is grand and giving and nurturing. The animals would teach them about responsibility and humanity and kindness and the garden would show them where our food comes from and anyway blah blah blah...my fairy tale :) I just yearn to be able to have friends come over a lot more than they have time for. I long to let my children play outside most of the day and to play with them not have to work and work and work inside! I would love to sit at dinners and chat about real things with friends ~ my husband and I do not do that (have other couples that are friends we see regularly). Our life is consumed with work and coping and keeping everyone going and it seems like such a whirl wind.
  I KNOW that what I just wrote out is full of things that could go wrong, lots of work and drama etc. However after watching Happy and seeing that Denmark is one of the happiest countries in the world and a lot of that has to do with the co housing that many people get to take part in...it renewed that ache in me. I hear so many families my age wish for this (opportunity to live on land). However not many are willing to make the sacrifice to actually live in community in order to make it happen. It is so foreign here and some how scary. I wonder though because I want it so much...if it is in my future? The wish just does not leave me. I guess we shall see what happens.I guess we shall see.