from the zine world within, which is available at http://rocket.samizdat.co.nz The basic idea is just community building. Taking an area, getting to know it and its members, get them to know you and each other, and come closer to an ideal of living. Instead of taking a group of like-minded people, isolating yourselves, and living outside of modern, western culture, start working within it, recognizing all the problems of distrust, fear, lack of respect, racism, sexism, homophobia, greed, anger, jealousy, and everything else that comes from not knowing and communicating with people. To try andget people, including yourself, to break through all of the societal garbage that has destroyed our abilities to relate to and communicate with one another and to begin to feel comfortable with those around you, to care for each other, their safety, happiness, and general well-being. Nothing new, but certainly revolutionary. Sound simple enough? Hard work,though. Some would say impossible. But isn;t this what is really needed? If people cared about those they lived with, dispite their obvious differences, wouldn't this make them more inclined to act in accordance with the well-being of all, and be more open to the ideas/problems/concerns presented by others within their community? Also, there is the issue of struggling to change all of the individual problems in this world, and whether this does any good besides making people more content, thinking things are getting better and that there is nothing to worry about. Wouldn't it be better to focus on giving people the tools for effective social change so that when the situation reaches a critical mass, they will be able to create something great, not just a new system with all of the same problems? A Cob Castle.The idea is, a bunch of unschoolers living together. Permanently. (This being the distinguishing feature from the DreamHouse [1]). Many of us are getting "old", that is, 18. We miss campers. We want to live with cool people. We're trying our hardest to make this happen. At ACK (a party at Tessa's house) and at NewYears (at Nick's family's house), the gatherings turned into a sort of mini-cob-castle of sorts, by virtue of everyone just helping everyone get what needed to be done done, and just experimenting with having that many [intense] people in such a confined space for that long... I'm happy to say it works. It's like a giant soap opera at times, but we have good communication skills, so it works out. (Ari, 71 spring) We are tired of being too freaking far away from everyone. The idea of being grouchy and half awake every single morning on-mass sounds appealing. Home is driving us nuts. I'd rather blow it all on trying to live together then slowly let time and distance drive me insane and tear up my friendships. Im wasteing too much money all ready on long distance calling and postage. (scribbled, ranted, wandered and hoped Dawn on the 10th of May) weirdo Mari sez: I've never met any of you guys in meatspace but I think it would be so nice to do so. somewhere i get the feeling that i will be knocking on the door of the cob castle in the future, with my transformers suitcase and teddy bear. will you mind?
I saw this quote on a greeting card, and it hit home - to the home I want to be in ~tessa If you built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. -Thoreau a Cob Castle would also be cool, because then for those of us who want to travel or already *do* travel, it would be an awesome place to stop for a while, 'cause then you get to see a bunch of people as opposed to having to flit back and forth between a bunch of people's houses... -JessicaSkater The Listhere's an idea! here put all the big and little things you'd like to see in the cob castle. everything from stained-glass windows to a cob oven. just let your mind go!
.../continue/... Where do you think would be a good place for a Cob Castle?
As was recently posted to the List by Dawn a small church would be good, it would need a few modifications to meet the standereds of the above list of things needed in the castle but in her words '... You know, if someone is serious about starting Group Living, the building you really want to buy is some small church. Think about it, they have a large central hall with great acoustics and lots of light, many little rooms, at lest 2 bathrooms and a kitchen... wood floors and big doors...' Zaria
Henry H. /Anyone interested in having a house or something IN a city, as opposed to close by/far away/? Quo Vadis is here:http://www.quovadis-gathering.org Other Getting Together Stuff:
[1] Also see: the AircraftCarrier ~Reanna NBTSWikiWiki | Recent Changes Edited 49 times, last edited on March 18, 2002 by 199.8.89.252. © 2000 NBTSC Webmasters |
A total must 
