5:39 AM
July 21, 07
These are the Draft of Meeting Notes
written by P B and Leslie
Thursday, July 19, 07.
Notes from our talk this morning about a vision for function in foundation/basement.
As a group/house/community, we’re asking for a shift in behavior and thinking. We’re recognizing the necessity for change, and as a matter of survival, we’re needing a shift in patterns of thinking and behavior that involve respect of others, space, self and spirit.
Going beyond the emotional aspects of change, this is a matter of practicality, business and cooperation. The highest use of space is not for one individual to dominate and interfere with the higher function and use.
The basement is to be used primarily as clean and clear, well-managed office spaces, for storing archives, library materials, products and goods that are adding to the function and industries of community,
Each space needs to be valued and seen for its greatest good. The basement is the foundation level of house – all space needs to be consciously used. Anything stored needs to be by agreement and recognizing the person receiving space is responsible for covering the cost of using that space. Each space is granted through an agreement of exchange, of money, time, and energy. If a person is using space, the value of the space needs to be considered for it’s overall purpose and direction of community. Personal uses of spaces are understood to advance personal advances of work and livelihood. It either needs to be income producing or considered part of the cost to live here. Individuals must be responsible in meeting their own needs beyond those that can be accommodated through this community. In other words, if they need more space, beyond what is available, they need to be responsible for those themselves.
The understanding of the community for it to function is that individuals are responsible for their own storage needs beyond the capacity of this house. Whey they move here they will be informed that they have a limited and defined space that is for their sue and respectful stewardship.
Respect is the key issue of living in this community. We must honor ourselves and others in our actions, behaviors and impact. When we fail to recognize the effects of our actions we undermine the efforts of community building and sustainability. We detract from the energy flow of progress and process.
Living together in this community is intended to be character building and asks each of us to develop mature behaviors that are respectful of planet, community and individuals desiring to live peacefully with each other. The following are character-building qualities that are essential for this community survive and thrive.
1- Respect for other is born out of self-respect. Examples of respectful behaviors:
Living together as a community asks high levels of self-respect beyond what is necessary when alone.
Each person who is invited to live here, and each person who already lives here, is asked to accept and rededicate to certain guidelines that encourage it to be a conscious model of healthy, spirit-centered living.
This community is intended to provide a home (basis) for shared values and ideals. These values and ideals are crucial for survival of the planet, community and individual. We have been brought together with common purpose from different histories and needs. We are all here looking for a safe place to live and thrive, where we can carry on our life work and plant and grow our dreams. We have so much to learn and teach from the model of the Enchanted Garden. What is a weed? What is a useful? How do we use our enthusiastic and well-meaning energies to create and support life?
How do we respond to apparent problems, sensitivities, neglect? How do we respect our own needs and they needs of communities? We respond in different ways and now we seek strategies for effective management of this ambitious garden/metaphor community. This is a time to make sense of our foundation, beginning with soil, basement. We’ve begun by taking care of overt, practical needs to foster life. We’ve improved conditions of the upstairs bathroom, taken on fire hazards, cleaned overgrowth, brought order to areas needing weeding, started to declutter and to create areas to allow sorting, organization, and emptying of the basement. We’ve seen conflicts arise and are seeking deep inside, ways to overcome what appear to be overwhelming obstacles. We’re meeting energetic blocks with solutions involving communication, assistance of others and community. There’s hope in this process.
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Photos:
http://www.lesliegoldman.com/Enchanted_Garden_Intentional_Community/id51.htm