Commune Dreaming

I dream of starting an intentional living community. For those who know me, “the Commune.” Since 2017, when I first started blathering about the Commune, the idea has remained slippery. It’s a loose collection of shifting goals that don’t accurately reflect a commune, but I don’t have a better name.

So I’m starting a collection of related blog posts to help myself and others understand the vision, and maybe realize it. Check back here as I add more content.

The most central idea I’m pursuing is to catalyze healthy growth in early adulthood by setting up high-functioning multi-family households that are helped by mentors. Larger households allow more efficient consumption of market goods and more efficient home production. That is, larger households can buy in bulk and share chores.

The two most central tasks I want to enable are healthy child rearing and gaining professional credentials. The realities of these tasks differ starkly between the lives of “front-row” and “back-row” Americans, to borrow a phrase from Chris Arnade. In back-row America, you typically become a parent in your early 20s. Professional certification takes a few tries – with very low initial college completion rates – and happens with kids in the picture.

Ancillary goals include reducing incidence of CPS child removal, empowering more adults to provide foster care, assisting youths recently aged out of foster care, creating an outlet for Christians and others to engage in service, and giving senior citizens a community where they can contribute and belong.

Plans

Philosophy & Problem

Child welfare system

Real estate