Intentional Communities/ State of the family in modern society

I have always wanted to live in an intentional community. There is a community in Missouri that has both intentional communities and egalitarian communites. There is even a women's community, all within one ecovillage. Dancing Rabbit invites people from all over the country and the world to join them while they build sustainable housing, grow several gardens, manage permaculture and enjoy life. Several internships are available every year for those who can see themselves living in a tent for 3 - 4 months. I have allowed myself to picture my little family living in a setting like Dancing Rabbit. I have no idea how I would get around since I have three kids and Dancing Rabbit has a car coop, which means you must sell your car before you join, or give it to the car coop when you move in.

Well, I can dream. What really gets me dreaming about intentional communites is that my sister and her partner live in an intentional community in the mountains of northern Alabama. We would considered living there as I would love to live near my sister, but the community has been closed for years. They have 20 members, which means that have 5 homes. Almost everyone there is partnered. One of their single community members hasn't built a home yet.

So rambling on, what is really behind this intentional community stuff is that I honestly believe no one gives a flying fuck about families. I envision living in a community where my kids would stay at home, run free in the fresh air, dig in the dirt and garden, and I would be able to work at home, living in the company of other people, either parents or friends, who all love kids. I have some ambivilance about beginning work. I feel like my kids are still very young, and need me. On the other hand, we need more income. What is a mama to do?

Seems we have to work more so we can have more. And we have to work even more so we can pay for what we have! Where the heck does that leave me? A car payment? Yea, we need a new car. My kids need me. I truely wish we lived in an isolated mountain, or near the ocean where my sand babies could build castles, and walk through the tide pools, lazying under the canopy of a palm tree and at night, sleeping under our moderate roof, in a family hammock, where we could get by with much less, where we could work less, play more. I hate the idea of keeping up with the jones. I just want to play with my children, love them, tickle them, dig my hands in the ground, grow our food, and forget about money. What about bartering? What happened to this as a viable way to trade?

Okay, I had too much chai this morning. I am rambling, and now I have to wake up Ravi, to put him on the school bus, that takes him to school, where he has to take a standerdized test, that will get more money for the school, depending on the grade, and the kids on the bus can pick on my kid. oh shit!

Jyotsna