Is a commune right for me?

I've grown up in a pretty privileged family, haven't had any money troubles but have just lived a routine lifestyle. My parents are paying for my college, but I have just always felt disconnected from this lifestyle and find it pretty pointless. I'm undecided on my major because there is no job that I can see myself doing, I do not want to go to a 9-5 job every day and it just seems like a waste of the time that we have on this earth. My favorite times are every 2 years when I visit my cousins in Iran for a month and get away from the high paced lifestyle that I live over here. My parents have worked hard to be able to provide this lifestyle for me, being immigrants to this country and all, I don't mean to not appreciate what they have tried to provide for me, but I just feel like in the end all of the worries and stress that come with trying to fit in this society is quite stupid to be blunt. The way people treat each other, and the competition between people, it is just all ridiculous. My parents basically just think that I am spoiled and lazy and I just do not know what it is like to live without money. They think that if I actually tried to live an alternative lifestyle I would be running back for luxury items. I just don't think this a true, I can't relate with this kind of lifestyle and I was wondering if a commune would be the right place for me. And if so if anyone had information about southern california communes.

 

Can you handle:

People being all up in your business 24/7?

Sharing room with multiple people?

Everyone on the rag at the same time?

You will get chores and expected to deliver on them. This may include washing other peeps skidmark underwears.

Waiting in line to piss or poo or shower?

Not choosing your own meals most of the time?

Sharing soap?

Gossip galore?

If so, it may work for you.

ETA- to add being woken up at any hour for any reason.

 

To aj0: Aw man, that doesn't sound awesome at all.

 

telltalesociety,

I can relate to your position. Even the lower middle class in this country grow up taking for granted luxuries that you'd be hard pressed to produce "by yourself" such as hot water, and dry warm spaces, clothes and laundry, electric light!

I left my middle class lifestyle and hit the road with nothing but a backpack and lived with nothing for a long time. Now, as I go from being on the road to forming a commune, I am coming to recognize that while we don't want what you are likely referring to as "luxury", there is a certain standard of living that I do want, and we are each deciding how much of these things we need in our lives and coming to balance in that.

So while it's clear that you don't want to contribute to the society, the culture, the community around you, if you want to be successful in intentional community you must contribute to that, and not be "spoiled and lazy" as your parents say. It can be harder than you might imagine to try to create a different kind of culture, to bring yourself to the action you believe in, since we do come from a culture of such incredible laziness and dis-empowerment.

Love and Light,
Joshua