Commune
musicismylife78
Posts: 6,116
Am seriously considering moving to a commune, giving up all possessions except for my cd player and cd's, selling my television, and refusing to read the news.
Anyone ever been to a commune before? How about the more famous ones like The Farm?
There are literally thousands of communes still active, some make members work outside the commune to survive. My ideal is to move to a commune, that is very stereotypically hippie or 60's ish. For example I want to live on a commune where we dont have tv's or computers, we dont have to work outside the commune, we work on the commune and make our own food and run the whole deal.
I am trying to say money to travel but dont know how much I need to live in such places. Do they require membership or one time fees?
Anyone ever been to a commune before? How about the more famous ones like The Farm?
There are literally thousands of communes still active, some make members work outside the commune to survive. My ideal is to move to a commune, that is very stereotypically hippie or 60's ish. For example I want to live on a commune where we dont have tv's or computers, we dont have to work outside the commune, we work on the commune and make our own food and run the whole deal.
I am trying to say money to travel but dont know how much I need to live in such places. Do they require membership or one time fees?
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At my commune we SHARE CDs. Hand 'em over, Bub. I'll let you know when I'm done with them. If I make any scratches on 'em, too effing bad.
-Enoch Powell
So to move to a commune, give up most of my possessions, work for the commune, and live closely with people, and to be cut off almost completely from mainstream culture will be a big change. But in all honesty, I am graduating college in a few months and really cant fathom myself working in "regular life" right now. Its just too much. I just cant do it. Maybe I will change my mind in a while, but right now I want to graduate and immediately move to the commune. The war has taken its toll on me, reading about how the environment is being destroyed has taken its toll. In all honesty, I dont feel like I would survive working and living in mainstream society. I would love to work for the commune but also to sing to salmon, to interact with people, to appreciate life and nature, to play my guitar in a beautiful meadow. Dylan has always been there for me in times of strife and when he said, "he not busy being born is busy dying" that really changed my life. In my mind I am dying right now. Moving to a commune gives me a chance for rebirth and rejuvenation.
So to sum up, indeed it may be horrific and horrible at the commune, but my current situation right now isnt working, so I need to do something about it. The commune is a way to do this
hiding from societies evils won't make them go away. At some point you'll have to learn to deal with some of this stuff. There is always conflict / war. There will always be injustice. Joining a commune won't make that stuff go away, it'll just force you to deal with it at a later date. *steps off soapbox*
I was in a weird state of mind when I finished college, but eventually found my way.
I think if this is what you want to do, you should give it a go. It is a free country. If you find you hate it, you can re-enter society and start again.
But understand that Dylan hasn't done this. So while he is an inspiration to you, realize he is one rich dude, who hasn't shunned society or modern living. He travels by plane, plays to huge crowds, prices tickets out of the reach of many, etc...
There are many paths to getting what you want out of life.
Indeed the war will continue even if I join a commune, and the destruction of the earth will continue as well. But it is doing two things that I feel are important
1. It is showing the world how I feel the world should be run and lived. You must be the change you wish to see in the world as Gandhi said. To live, sustainably, peacefully, and in ways that dont hurt the environment, and dont harm the air is a pretty powerful thing. My own opinion is that industrial society will collapse in a few years. Its inevitable, we cant keep building roads, polluting the air, driving more cars that spew more pollutants. It will collapse, and in my mind, the people who take over, who overthrow the current order, will install maybe a million small, 10 to 20 member commune's working peacefully with each other and with the land. Thats what I see. Its important to be able to grow your own food, to make your own clothes. Because right now, we, myself included, arent independent. We go to the market, and someone else grows, and harvests our potatos, and carrots. Its shouldnt be this way. We go to Gap or Old Navy and someone else manufactured our clothes. It shouldnt be like this. We need to learn how to be self sufficient.
2. As I said before, I feel as if I am dying right now, in modern society. I cant continue to read this crap in the newspaper, and although it may sound wierd to you all, I feel like my entire generation is dying in this war. Its scary, and horrifying. If my body is telling me to leave, to find something new, to find a place for rebirth, as it is currently, I think it would be silly of me not to take those feelings seriously. I am scared about my future, but I am more scared about it, if I dont move to a commune. As I said before, right now I am dreaming of playing a guitar in a field full of daisies, in mid july of this upcoming year, with the sun shining down on me. I envision, a field, that isnt polluted and I envision butterflies and other insects and animals all around me and my commune-mates. Indeed work will be done by me and other members at this commune, but it in my mind, sure as hell beats working in an office for 40 hours.
I need a change, and I feel it in my body. Everything is telling me to move to the commune.
I am in a wierd state of mind right now, I agree. And I will take your suggestion into consideration. But as I said before, at this moment, the war and the daily barrage of news about the loss of ice in the North Pole and the fact that 90 percent of the ozone in Antarctica is now gone, has really taken its toll on me. Think of Ed;s lyric in Army Reserve about the mother who can feel the war on her face, or think of Mike's lyrics in Inside Job. Thats me right now.
If I was to stay in society following college, in mainstream society, I just dont feel like I could do it. I need to make a clean break with society and modern living. And to live as I said above, where I am living peacefully with the land and others, but I dont have to deal with cars, or pollution or the war and the news.
I think i am indeed having a quarter life crisis, and maybe in a few months after I graduate will feel like getting a job in mainstream society. Right now, that doesnt seem like a good idea. Its just too much right now.
Instead of seeking refuge with like-minded people, have you thought of "waging war" and getting a job with a company that fights for causes in which you believe?
That would allow you to help the world, as opposed to "escaping".
It sounds like you've definitely put thought into this and I know I come across somewhat cynical b/c sometimes you come across too (in my opinion) idealistic. But if you need a change and you feel that is where you need to be for a bit AND you are lucky enough to have the freedom to move to the commune...why not give it a whirl. I agree that we as a society are very dependent upon others for food and clothes etc and those are good skills to have; but In my personal opinion I don't think the commune is the utopia that people make it out to be (granted, I've never been to one, but in my experience in life there is no perfect place.)
On a personal note, I would be very hesitant to move to a commune or anywhere for that matter b/c I was scared of my future or scared about what could be. It is perfectly normal to be freaked out about graduating and moving on with life. Move to the commune b/c that is where you want to be NOT b/c you are scared to move somewhere else. You can do all of the things you mentioned w/o moving into a commune.
I may sound harsh b/c I graduated college with debt and I'm now working on another degree and I know that I dont' have the luxury of trying to find myself and I'll be forced to step up to the real world...who knows.
I'm out.
I have been listening to alot of Nick Drake, and as many of you know raving about a movie called The Ballad of Jack and Rose. Both of these things seem to heighten my feelings of longing for a commune and stir up all sorts of emotions in me. I listen to them both, already feeling I need to leave and go to a commune, and they sort of really make the choice of staying in society and going to a commune all that much more easier. I cant really express my feelings at the moment. Its hard to explain. I feel lost, and angry, disillusioned, upset, sad.
I talk to many college students and for them, they are graduating and getting jobs. To me, that isnt appealing.
I need to clear my head and try to find myself. To me thats way more important than a job, at least right now. How can I become a true activist and not even know how to help myself. Thats why helping myself is the key thing.
That is the best idea yet, join the peace corps, leave the continent, travel, help people, and get paid for your time and priceless experience.
I wanted to get away when I turned 18, so I joined the army. I know you'll never go that route, but the peace corps has pretty much the same internal benefits as serving in the military. Communes in Northern California don't need your help, farmers in Romania do.
If you feel lost, angry, disillusioned, upset and sad most of the time, you need to get to the root cause of that before making any major life decisions. How you deal with that is up to you, but those feelings come from inside you, they're not imposed on you by external forces. I'm pretty sure you're not going to start popping Zolofts, but you should definitely talk to someone, and really examine your diet and exercise habits, look into meditating if you're not already doing that. What you're describing sounds like clinical depression, and it will follow you to the commune or the Peace Corps or the job or wherever else you might go. First things first.
Anyways, I agree and disagree hippiemom. A mom whose son has died in iraq, had external pressures put upon her. A mom whose son is in iraq, and she is worried every minute that a knock on her door will be 2 soldiers who tell her that her son has been killed in Iraq. Thats external as well.
You may be right, and I am not intending to attack you, but I sort of disagree in your assertion. I certainly dont want to feel the emotions I described in previous threads, and I certainly didnt choose them. The world situation caused it. For example, how am I supposed the feel, reading everyday as I do, that most of the soldiers killed in Iraq are my age? Thats external force right there. Or how about the fact that salmon are dying? These are situations put upon me.
But that said, I think your right as well on some aspects as well.
All i know is that in the 1960's, people felt like I did to a certain degree, and many of them fled to communes to escape the situtations, the war, race problems etc... The website to the famous "The Farm" says as much.
And in many ways I am doing exactly what you are suggesting I do. I am getting help, but in my own way. The start of 2006 started these feelings up, and I felt like I needed to travel. I saw some concerts, I traveled to San Fran from Oregon to see my first Pearl jam show. The feelings of anger, disillusionment, and being lost, disappeared and were gone, when I was at concerts and when I am listening to music. I now feel like I need to do more. I need to escape, to leave, and get away. I also wouldnt be surprised if I am not the only one who has these feelings, especially now in our history.
I am just so sick of the violence in society right now. I am sick of the feeling I get when I pick up the newspaper, and 5 more kids my age died in iraq. There are many options at my disposal, but the one that sounds most appealing is a commune. Again, that may change.\
I dont feel like I am necessarily choosing to feel angry and upset and lost, its what I feel is being pushed on me by society. How am I supposed to act when kids are dying daily in this senseless war, and they are all my age? As I said, to me, the war seems to be killing my entire generation. Thats a scary thought, and one that to me doesnt sound all that crazy.
To an extent, and without implying you're some sort of sick kid, I agree with hippiemom. For reasons you perceive to be external, you are not satisfied with living in the present and in your own skin. If you're going to make it through this life with any amount of happiness, you're going to have to find a way to live in this world as it is and as you are. Moving to a commune will not rid you of the nagging feeling in the back of your head that the world is about to end, nor will it suddenly open your mind to that alternate-universe where everyone wears tie-dyed shirts and the world is at peace.
I really do appreciate your idealistic outlook. Although it's a source of pain for you personally, it makes me happy to hear that you care as much as you do. I couldn't agree more with those who have mentioned the Peace Corps as an excellent choice for you. I really think that your attitude would prove to be indispensable to an organization that wouldn't survive without a large dose of idealism. Not to mention, you may become more comfortable with the world's problems as you come to confront them through service in the peace corps. As it stands now, you read the news and it's like this giant, dark, shadowy monster chasing you. You can't see it's face so you're left to use your imagination. If you joined a group like the peace corps who goes out and confronts these 'monsters' head-on, you may learn to deal with your fears and anxiety in a more healthy way.
good luck, man...whatever you choose to do.
naděje umírá poslední
As an alternative: If you've got a degree then you can move out to a small village in either South Korea or Japan and teach English.
And for the record: I gave up reading newspapers about a year ago. I came to see them for waht they are - mental junk food. It's an easy thing to do. Just stop buying them.
you need to move on.
He doesn't need to do anything. If he has a deep interest in the 60's that his business. There are plenty of less worthy things to have an interest in than one of the seminal era's of our time. I say good luck to him.
If you truly care about people, and changing the world for the better (which I assume you do because you keep saying you are depressed about the world's problems and injustices), then moving to a commune is about the most selfish thing you can do.
"There are so many problems in the world today, what am I to do? I know, I'll move into a hippy commune and I'll just pretend the problems don't exist by not watching tv or reading a newspaper. Problems solved."
From reading this and numerous other threads that you have posted, it seems like you aren't ready to leave your college bubble and enter society. Well, everybody has problems. Deal with them and move on. Sorry.
I have to agree. If you are really that concerned with the world's problems then work to fix them, not run away and hide from them.