When you hear “commune,” various images flood your mind: perhaps there’s a mix of free spirits, a communal kitchen bubbling with stews, and a swarm of barefoot children running wild, along with adults sporting flower crowns and the occasional stockpile of firearms. It’s quite a vivid scene, isn’t it?
But let’s pause and truly contemplate this notion—a commune. Imagine you’re yearning to escape the monotony of school projects and the never-ending cycle of baked chicken and slow-cooked ribs that dominate your meals. What if you and several of your closest family friends decided to turn your backs on modern societal norms? Pool some money together, and seek out a rustic farm or maybe even an old shopping mall from the ’80s. How would you make it work? What would it take? Could your family of five thrive in a repurposed retail space? Would you transform the former food court into a hub for organic living?
Absolutely! But there’s a catch—space. While you’ve opted for communal living, you still want to maintain some level of personal space. After all, unless you’re into close quarters, you’ll need designated areas: one for each family, a play area for the kids, a relaxation zone for adults, and a dedicated space for any nannies you might hire. Plus, you’ll need an educational area because your kids are all brilliant, and you want to ensure their unique talents are celebrated away from the constraints of traditional schooling (as long as this is in a supervised environment during work hours, of course).
Speaking of work, you’ll likely need jobs to keep the commune functional. Someone will have to cover the electric bill for that gourmet kitchen you envision. You could sell the kids’ art or their imaginative stories to local hipsters, or perhaps someone might need to commute to a nearby job. It’s something you can sort out as a group.
Then, there are other important discussions to tackle. Will you embrace free love? What about cultivating cannabis? You’ll need a garden, as it’s practically a commune requirement. But remember, you can’t grow gourmet snacks or artisanal spirits, so you’ll need to strategize on those essentials. You might be able to replicate some favorites, but whether your group has the motivation to do so is a collective decision.
Before delving into these specifics, you must gather everyone to address the big picture: where will you live, how much money do you have, and the potential tax benefits of designating your commune as a church. Coordinating a time for all seven families to meet will be an epic scheduling challenge, akin to aligning the planets in the night sky.
Once you finally manage to meet, the planning can truly commence. Imagine the joys of cohabitation—no HOA fees, no PTA meetings, just friends, kids, and the lingering aroma of long-closed eateries. All that’s left is to organize that initial meeting. Or, hey, maybe just rent some duplexes on the same street instead? Same vibe, right? You could even call it Commune 2.0 and write an online manifesto about the joys of communal living, where leaving your trash cans out is totally acceptable among forgiving neighbors. You can still run around barefoot and create a community garden, or at least set up a catering account with the local burrito shop.
It sounds feasible, doesn’t it?
This article was originally published on February 16, 2015.
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Summary:
Exploring the concept of a commune invites the imagination to consider escaping conventional life with close friends. It involves practical decisions about space, responsibilities, and maintaining personal boundaries while fostering a close-knit community. From discussing communal living arrangements to potential jobs and shared responsibilities, the journey to create a commune is filled with exciting possibilities, even if it might be simpler to just rent nearby homes instead.