(copied from communal living forum) ok so were back in canada and planning to build the canadian tribe which Ive neglected for a few years while working on the states. the plan is this, most of our alumni is in calgary, lately Ive been speaking with a few kids who are ready to hit it in 2008. that means we have a wack load of time to build the bus/s by then. from now on buses we build will be co-op owned, which means all tribe have a right to them. as the bus gets passed between tribe, the new driver will take over insurance responsibilities...so its sort of a time share bus, as long as we keep doing highwaychild in the bus and live as a tribe spreading community and freedom within the gates of babylon...and without them. so to those of you who havnt read the other threads, which I suggest before making decisions on joining or not. what we are! we are an ever growing evolving gypsy tribe. no you dont have to be blood roma to be a part of this, but you need to have the highway in your soul. we travel around in painted buses cars vans trailers, we make money out side the grid of babylon, by selling hemp, painting curbs washing windows, many many ways, we travel from town to town and spread community we do this by not doingt much other than living as a tribe. getting back to basic society. idealy we would like to say there is no leadership this has always been subject to debate. though personally I find if we follow the rulles which Ill get to later leadership just sort of happens for whomever is good at organsing the tribe. we put ALL our money we make in a communal pot, we elect a treasurer someone we all trust on each bus and they hold the money, they have no power over the money they are simply responsible for holding it and keeping account of what is spent. what the money is spent on is a tribe vote. we each take upon ourselves certain duties on each bus, some are good with there hands so they take care of maintanance, either the structure of the interior or the mechanics of the bus, others like things tidy so they make sure its clean, sometimes they delegate the rotation of whos turn it is to clean in the morning, though we all try to clean up after our selevs. others can cook, others can sell. we all make 3 pieces of hemp jewlery or thirty dollars worth of either seelable merchandise or cash a day. if you have your own money when you get on the bus, leave it in a bank account and dont spend it on the bus, we live as a triube and we depend on each of our skills to survive, not on cash we save when not on the road. when you get on a bus you give a donation, usually 2 or three hundred dollars, then you live off of the tribe communal cash pot. everything is communal we share smokes, beer, herb . in the united states we have a zero tolerance for drugs on the bus. in canada not so much. we can have up to one ounce of pot on the bus. no chemicals or addictive substances at all...well other than ciggiretts and beer. the tribe is not meant to be a party bus.....but we get down a lot! there is still a zero tolerance for violence. heres the thing, violence is allowed to protect our tribe, if violence happens with the tribe itself, we have council immediatly and discuss further action. WE DO NOT INVOLVE BABYLON LAW!!!!! worse case scenerio your exciled off the bus where ever we are. we will never punish by violence. there is no hoarding of food cash smokes anything tribe bought that means anything bought from tribe funds. drama is a no no, if you have a problem we have council. this is a community, not a soap opera. if you cant get a long with the tribe why be with us. if you get kicked off a bus by a tribe vote your still alumni you can get on the bus later or on another one. If you are kicked off twice you are not tribe. tribe has rights to purchased land buses, films we take part in. we are an ever growing community. some take it more serious than others. personally I breath highway child. I have tried to retire after every bus but can never last very long ...I think about the tribe every day. others have there own lives, they come to tribe events get on a bus on there time off from their jobs, and thats ok. were not a cult, you c an leave whenever you want everyone chooses how they travel their own highway. the point of this is to re learn how we live and deal with eachother as a society. we are not like babylonians though we travel threw it we are our own! we have tribe all over the world, tribe can always have community with other tribe, always a place to stay always a helping hand always a brother or a sister. we make decisions as a tribe, there should not be one leader, no one has more power than any other. some are good with leadership skills, and so we work that way, one can not dictate to another, though we all follow the rulles. no violence no hoarding no harmfull drugs no dictatorship LIVE FREE we all work we all eat council dictates based on majority. though sometimes consensus must be met depending on the severity fo the situation. dont say the words BREAK DOWN on any bus ever!!!!!!!!!! and no wet willying the driver! oh and no elfing in canada the minimum age to travel is 16 with some exceptions if we have written parental consent. I mean most of us have been on the road since before then anyway. states laws are different than canada laws. I say gypsy tribe because were not all hippies, I guess were hippiish and we drive a painted up bus that looks hippy, and we go to gatherings... but were not defined by that...were people...eccentric for the most part but people! we tend to be politically charged, but we have no religion every body has there own thoughts, and politcs.... ok so we need some kids to get this going. this bus will be completely tribe bought. I have built them ouit of my own pocket for to long its time we take the next step. email me PM me or post here to know more. Im not online as much as I used to be so anyother tribe please take the reigns on this to answer any questions anyone may have, peace drew oh the american highwaychild tribe is still kickin the american THC gathering is in truth or consequences 1st week of august this year. see yall there. ive been trying to get kids from other buses to get on here....many dont do the techy thing. __________________
You don't survive from savings before you hit the road but you want a few hundred dollars of peoples' savings before you hit the road? Doesn't make much sense to me.
well, heres the explanation, we want each person to feel that they contributed to the building of the tribe. The folks buying the bus and building the bus work their ass off to get it on the road. is it fair then when a new member gets on with nothing ? are they at all equal? as well when we are on the road and making money as a community and depending on eachother to survive selling jewlery and what not, how is it fair that the guy in the back with a visa card or savings is eating and the rest of us not? OR in the past and probally this trip as well we will run into mechanical difficulties at some point on the road. it is way too easy to "borrow" the money from someone on he bus saying we will pay it back later..... we always figure a way out, this is a lifestyle for many of us not a bunch of twinkies on a road trip, big deal we B-down then we figure a way how to make enough for the part or labour or whatever... the money we make on the road is enough to survive, we get a head from time to time but its unpredictable when we will make enough to save.... the rule is in place for the security of all of us. I hope I have explained that well enough for you.
Well, I guess I just view life differently than you. You said: I think "members" are equal no matter what they have to brag about. People are, in essence, equal. I don't believe that material or immaterial trophies or "bragging rights" anything like that makes any one person have more seniority than another. If people work hard for a goal, it can be acknowledged, but everyone has a choice - and it was their choice. If these people would only make this choice on the assumption that they would get some money in return, that is a job. It does not flow with the mindset of volunteering to make people and yourself happy. If you work for money, you are at a job. I would say that regardless of what one brings on first arrival, everyone starts equal. The people who built/repaired the bus just started the journey for everyone.. and they can leave their "seniority" status behind once they start a commune. I believe that striving for equality is petty as equality has already been reached, what one should be striving for is the realization of the innate equality.
that is a beautifull mindsat. and I agree with you in an ideal sence. though things are not perfect. this is our way to achieve a better way! now there is no minnimim as I said usually 2-300 dollars. we meet people all the time travelling with nothing they are asked to give a donation but it could be a few quareters. when reikie is tought or used in practice the master asks for a donation. this is not because you can put a value on it, it is becuase that the person recieving has goven something to get something. I have a huge problem with people taking without giving back, the american rainbow culture has deteriorated becasue of just that fact. yes it would be great if all of us are equal in the world. and essentially we are. though we may not equally add to society..or in this case "A"society we are a tribe. for this reason alone we need ways to make us feel united not just in our friendship but in our financial doings..... its not fair to the people who sacrifice if others dont have to! and well ...when it comes down to it. this way works well for us. If you think you can do a better way....I extremely encourage you to do so! this is our attempt at a better way. rulles have been voted on by past councels and changed and evolved to the way they are now. I am sure the rulles will keep evolving. peace thansk for your thoughts.
Glad to be the newest highway child in the tribe blinkin!! Now if only i could find teh damn inmporter so i could get moving,, grrr. love you brother!
Oh yeah,,, and you wouldnt think that its """fair """ if you got on the bus with two hundred bucks.then the bus breaks down,,, and everyone else got on with nothing,, so you have to pay for everything, and everyone else does nothing,, now does that sound fair at all to you???? that doesnt sound very equal to me, and im pretty sure youd be pissed as hell if that happened,,
hey chevy hows the highway child 8 running? fucking import papers that sucks ! I didnt know you would have to deal with that, as far as I knew you payed for the bus the taxes at the border and then went to the D.O.T and got the title with the regestration I gave you..... man american gov always makes things difficult! Im going to call you today. peace drew
oh by the way folks tat bus in my signature WAS my bus, its dylanchick0113s bus now. shes runs that bus part of the american tribe
fairness does not equal equality. and no, I wouldn't be 'pissed'. You know why? Because paying the 200 bucks would have been my choice. I can't get angry at others because of a choice that I made. And you can't measure fairness with equal currency or monies. Fairness is a trade-off. Maybe one person got on with 200 bucks, but someone else got on with the fact they fixed the broken clutch, etc. Seeing same values of finances is completely different than seeing equality.. or fairness. EDIT: I work for a non-profit charity. I recently wrote an article for a newsletter on the value of volunteering. Society has a very sad outlook on the value of volunteering. Volunteer hours are averages and then multiplied by the average wage in the area. Then, they figure out how much money would have been paid to these volunteers had they been working. That is a very skewed way of looking at the value of volunteering. In our program, we offer mentoring programs for children. You can't measure the impact that a volunteer has on a child by measuring the money he could have made in that time during a job. What I'm saying is that finances are finances. Worth is something different. And I think it's healthier to look at fairness as in equal worth... and I think it's also healthier not to see equality as two identical parts. Remember, (1+3)=4, and (2+2)=4. (1+3) and (2+2) are two different equations, but they're both equal. They both have the same worth.
NICE!!!!!! well all I can say is i wish everyone was like you......but people are not yet so enlightened. I agree with you, though people dont think that way as a wholle...yet! keep on the same track threw your twenties....you could change the world! I would definatley have you on our bus if it was up to me alone....you have my vote!
Thank you for your kind words of confidence. I am a little bit of a pessimist though. Unfortunately, one can only change the willing, and I don't feel the world is willing. Therefore, I feel unable to change the world. With my words, I receive negative conotative phrases like being "too idealist," "too liberal," or, the worst, "a hippy". Far-left ideals are not taken seriously, mostly because they are thought to stem from burnt out hippies who think they've "found the answer" to life. Unfortunately, the hippy idealism is not taken seriously. However, an ounce of hope is contained in my goal to be a hippy in a suit. I will play the conservative game and I will perhaps even go against what I believe in order to achieve what I believe. It is not ideal but in today's world, it may be the only way.
IdentityCrisis, Finaly someone with a head on their shoulders and something worth listening to. To be honest, i was slightly annoyed by your first response but after realising that your point was to enlighten and not to degrade i was calm again. Truth is, you DO have a point, and an excellent one at that. You talk the talk but you also walk the walk, unlike most who just talk out of their arses and have others do the walking. And for that, deffinite respect and admiration. Drew mentioned you had his vote if you were ever to hop on, well you've got mine. I think one of the most important things to remember through out this crazy journey that is life, is that when it comes to 'enlightning' others, it's never wise to degrade anothers beliefs or perceptions but it's always right and insightful to simply teach them your own with as much humility as possible.(I say this without the slightest hint of accusation by the way.)Glad to see someone with as much enthusiasm and passion as you, keep doing what you're doing, stay true to yourself, surely you've enlightened many if not paved the way for many others!! Love & Light, Angela
ditto. be carefull playing teh devils game sister! WALKING A PATH THAT IS AGAINST YOR OWN WAY ....CHANCES ARE YOUR NOT GOING TO CHANGE THE PATH BUT THE PATH WILL LEAD YOU AWAY....IT IS A PATH!!! GOOD LUCK ...oops caps peace drew
Specifically, I was talking about going into politics. But I wouldn't present myself as some stoned hippy that thinks she's found all the answers by 'expanding her mind'. I'm going to do it as a suit. As a professional. I'm 18 and I have two professional jobs for training. I spend time typing press releases, articles, organizing posh auctions, making telephone calls, conducting interviews, and filing. Of course I'd rather be at home with the crafts that I've neglected like wire jewelry and beading, aboriginal beading, knitting, crocheting, sewing, making hemp jewelry, playing my Native American cedar flute, etc. These are the things I enjoy. But I'm training myself. I am doing it in two non-profit organizations so I don't feel so bad about myself; however, I'm going to make a name for myself. I'm not sure what that name will be yet. But Once that happens, I'll be making some changes. My goal is to be the Prime Minister believe it or not. Right now I'm working on some minor things, but still trying to figure out how to go about doing it (activism that works is a hard thing to figure out; it's hard to figure out how to be taken seriously). Make no mistake, I'm not into "pushing" beliefs. My goal is to be taken seriously - that's the hardest part of all.
if the world is the willing to change, we can change ourself and live in the way we are desired. i think commune is positive liberty in which members share similar set of values and goals and work together for particular goal. scholars often label capitalism society is negative libery, and there is other kind, which is called freedom of non domination. i can say communal living is demanding, self disipline is needed to large extent. the future is on our minds, if we change our mind, everything will be worked. if we continuous say it is impossible, then it will be impossible i am sure.
