live in a commune

I want to live free of this odd detached system that people have created for themselves. I hear the talking heads and the politicos lamenting the lack of work ethic in America. It’s simple. Why would anyone care about their job when all they do is work for other people.

Nothing matches the satisfaction of doing hard work for yourself, and reaping the benefits directly. This strange system of sitting at a computer all day or cooking food for others to eat, so that you get little pieces of paper to give to other people so that they’ll take care of your basic needs is immensely strange to me the more I look at it.

I want to build my own home, grow my own food, and be as self-sufficient as possible. And I want to do it around like-minded knowledgable people.

So my plan is to go on a sort of Commune Tour around America, staying for a few weeks at a number of different communes and trying to find one that I fit into and that fits me.

I’ve spent the past few months living in a yoga ashram in New York City. It’s completely wonderful EXCEPT for the meditations from 6-7 am. Really, though, this is the perfect venue for stirring up some gorgeous spiritual shit.

This is a very strong desire for me, mainly because I am totally out of my element living in a city going to a 9 to 5. I would rather work hard outdoors than make money sitting on my butt. I want to share life experiences with a group of like-minded individuals. I want to build with my own hands a place that I can truly call home. I also want to be self sufficient for economic and political reasons, mainly to be removed from the bureaucracy that surrounds us everywhere. I want to feel safe and secure in my own right without dependency on the government to look out for me. I want to be off the grid so that I can burden earth’s resources less and stop paying to live. I envision a community of anywhere from 10 to 50 people of all ages who contribute in some way to the overall quality of life and progress of our little society. I want to create an environment that fosters a rebirth of old techniques and forgotten methods. I would like to buy a large plot of beautiful land with inherent possibilities and grow food and raise animals. I want a focus on arts and crafts and a true appreciation of the greatness of being human. I have many friends who share this vision with me from all walks of life and one day we will be living this life.
http://paradisefarms.blogspot.com/

I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do this. I’m gonna look into some places when I’m finished high school. It’s gotta be real eye-opener.

About a year ago, I decided that I’d eventually move to a commune. Being the Environmental Science and Studies Major that I am, I see how wasteful and environmentally detrimental my life truly is. I believe that I can change some of my wasteful ways on my own to a certain extent, but I won’t be completely satisfied with myself unless I live somewhere that pretty much forces me to live more sustainably.

And to be honest, I’ve always felt as if I’m out of place. I by no means want to stay in Cumberland for the rest of my life. The attitudes of this place depress me so much, and I feel that I were to share more of myself with the people here, I’d eventually be driven out of here anyway. When I was going to school at Towson, I felt much better, but I still felt as if things weren’t quite the way I wanted. I know that some people say that a situation is what you make of it, but I take it that whoever said that had a pretty easy life and didn’t feel at odds with so many societal concepts.

I came across the website for Twin Oaks a while ago and I really liked the sounds of the place. There are a few books about this commune, and I’d like to get my hands on them. I want to learn as much as I can about this community before I pay them a visit, and possibly, start living there. (Yes, I could possibly not be accepted to live there due to personality conflicts or may not be accepted to live there right away due to fears of overcrowding.) I could easily enough apply there now, but I’d like to pay off a few loans of mine first; I know there are some residents there who are paying off loans, but I’d personally feel as if I were burdening the community if I still went there with debts. I figure that if I’m ever to go there, things won’t be absolutely perfect for me, but I have the gut feeling that a lot of my unrest will be alleviated. I hope that it’ll only be a matter of years, and not decades before I put this plan into action.

I would like to share land, at least 40 acres, but not necessarily share living space. I think it would be great for everyone to have their own trailer or build their own home. Vegetable gardening, certain acres set aside for crop growing, cows, chickens, and maybe some horses. A barn, greenhouse, area for congregating and children to play. Wildflowers and herbs. Recycling trash, composting manure and vegetable waste. Selling surplus fruits and vegetables at nearby farmer’s market, or depending on where the land is located, having a market on the land off the road.
I think finances should be kept independent, and everyone be expected to pay their share of land costs, utilities and maintenance. Everyone should have assigned jobs to keep the community going.
People should get along, be friends, and keep each other company. Hopefully a variety of people would live there, so someone could create music, someone could create art, and everyone could contribute to learning for a broader mind. Meditation, yoga, exercise along with beer drinking and herb smoking! YAY!

Just like any society, communes have their good points and their bad points. Be sure to carefully pick your commune because the people you will be living with will be an extension of your family.

I’m into the whole hippie movement with all that comes with it and I dream about living in a commune one day, at least for a while. I imagine a commune where we grow our own ecological food, share things, create our own hemp jewelry which we sell on fairs and so on. Sure, it’s a dream and obviously most communes aren’t like that but I wish that I’ll one day find one that is.

I’m just so sick of the normal. Go to school. Work. Obsess and worry over money. I just want to get away and live a simple life.

Totally worth doing. I learned alot about who I was, how other people behave and react in close situations and it prepared me for kids cuz our bathroom had no door so everyone would pass by and stop to chat and now…my kids rip ours open all the time to talk to me while I am in there.LOL! But really, we had a sweat lodge experience and all stayed in a totally non electric home no running anything except the stream a few yards off. Completely amazing time. Sucked only once in awhile when people crossed the few boundaries we each had there. Most of those folks did not stay long. Met alot of amazing people. It was NOT like “The Beach, but it was almost 23 years ago…and maybe that makes a difference?

But I think I still want to do this but with a twist…like in a house with separate bedrooms plus a private bath but a common LR, Kitchen and etc… with people like me, with kids and a husband and a life and goals and…jobs. LOL!

And it doesn’t have to be vegan or organic or country – in fact, modern or boho chic would be better for me. We could share babysitting, chores, takeout, goals, travels, etc… and I won’t mind a computer or 6, a large screen tv, a jacuzzi bath…TOTALLY different from the first experience but would it work better? Worse???? Not based on materialism or anything…but not going all natural either. Some natural is GREAT tho and I am all for recycle everything and being world conscious, energy conscious, etc…. Is there someone else like this??