Have you asked yourself this question? Have you wondered what it could be like? Perhaps it's an unfulfilled, nagging idea or dream?
It has been something on our radar for years now and the same questions and reasons NOT TO DO IT come up again and again;
"How would we go about it" - "We dont want to join a bunch of nutters" - "Hippy commune / I'm not living in a Yurt" - "Cant trust anyone so best to stay alone"......... Shall I keep going? There are plenty more reasons not to try I know. (And before you say it, NO there is nothing wrong with hippy communes or hippies
)If your answer is one of the above that doesn't mean it is wrong, quite the opposite, it shows you have considered the idea and discounted it, that you have some 'red-lines' you may not wish to cross. We gave much the same answers ourselves many times over, especially the "nutters" one.
However there also plenty of reasons to try and make it happen, especially now. As the situation and troubles mount around us all in the UK and elsewhere, serious problems are cropping up and cant be ignored an longer, S**T is hitting the Fan all around us as we speak and becoming more serious everyday.
The Arwen unit are a couple in our "fit-fifties" and reckon we have got a decent handle on many aspects of our prepping way of life, however we accept our limitations and realise that it would be better to have a few like minded neighbors, friends and acquaintances living close by, not on our immediate doorstep necessarily, but at least within a reasonable walking distance. Having serious people to help out and call on in times of need is a clear advantage and as we (mostly) all have to live next to neighbors anyway, why shouldn't they be like minded folks, serious about the realities of life as we are?
We have done this sort of thing before (set up a network of like minded friends and acquaintances) and can say from experience it can work really well, not perfectly, but really well. You are never going to get on or like everyone you meet, that's just how life is and it is unrealistic to expect it to be otherwise, there really are some "nutters" out there! But the comfort and peace of mind in having someone nearby to call on, who is likely to have the skills or materials you dont, and who is willing to cover your back is priceless. If you already have that safety net around you, well done, you are very lucky.
The really decisive question has to be "Would you be willing to up sticks and move somewhere else?"
Or perhaps you already have the perfect property and location you would want others come join you? The process of forming a group like this is going to take some time, but we are already in touch with several other couples and families that are genuinely committed to doing just that, at some point in the not too distant future, before the ever increasing speed of current events overtakes us all.
I am happy to get the ball rolling through this post or via private messages if anyone prefers. In the next couple of posts I will try to outline what seems to be the basic ideas and outline consensus forming among those currently involved, which may answer many of your questions.
Deep breath....here we go!
