mrpieceofwork
Gen X
Male
Houston, TX
Speed of commitment:
Fast: Open to a situation that takes everyone being all-in from the start (with contracts & clarity)
IC types I would live in or am forming:
LGBTQ+ commune, Housing or shelter for a vulnerable group, Ecovillage or agrihood, Farm or ranch, Life partner with community values, Disaster prep or timeshare cabin, Resource-sharing commune, Shared housing in metropolitan area, Off-grid commune, Tiny homes community, Activist commune supporting shared work, Shelter for homeless, Ethnic culture-focused (e.g., BIPOC)
Food production:
Working toward producing all or nearly all of our own food, Working toward a mix of producing our own food and buying groceries
IC seeker or founder/resident:
IC seeker: I’m seeking residence in an existing household or IC with a stable culture and/or established norms.
Service-based IC (population):
Animal rescue, Physical disability, Low income LGBTQ+, Low income ethnic minority, Low income elderly, Mild to moderate mental illness, Runaway or homeless minors, Aged out foster teens
Service-based IC (description):
Long term shelter, Permanent residence, Provides school or vocational training for the selected group(s), Provides support services possibly including paid work opportunities for the selected group(s), Provides housing while attending college or vocational training
Vulnerable population as a proportion of residents:
About half
Residential proximity:
House mates (separate bedrooms, shared kitchen), Separate units (separate apartments but some shared common areas with shared resources), Shared land (separate houses possibly with some shared buildings), Multi-house collective (shared resources, but IC houses might be scattered within a traditional neighborhood)
Ownership types:
Join an established IC to learn and possibly stay, Whatever the group can agree on, Multi-house collective (shared resources, but houses have separate ownership or are separate rentals)
Reasons for shared housing:
Ecological sustainability to reduce carbon footprint, Lower cost of living, Sharing resources (spaces, equipment, tools, vehicles, gardens), Sharing meals and chores, Helping each other with childcare, Having social interaction while limiting the amount of influence or interaction with society, Having a “chosen family” to share good times and support each other thru hard times, Friendship and sharing activities
Décor of shared areas:
Not important, Decisions based on practical utility and durability
Clutter level of shared living areas or work space:
Tidy in shared spaces, with a designated place for things, Average level of "lived in" look, Creativity in progress (translate: not tidy in designated work space)
Cleanliness level (germs & crumbs):
All food counters & tables wiped down daily to not attract pests, Disinfectants must be ecologically safe products (chemical sensitivity), Dishes washed (or loaded into dishwasher) daily to not attract pests
Yard or landscaping:
Paved walkways and driveways, Tidy and clutter-free outdoors with storage out of sight, Covered space for storage, Space for kids and/or dogs to run, Gardens and edible landscaping, Xeriscape
Neighborhood or scenery:
Not applicable
Current city/town and state/province:
Houston, TX
Nation(s) of current residence:
United States
Preferred regions:
Pacific Coast U.S., Upper Midwest U.S., Northeast U.S., Southeast U.S.
Population density:
Suburban or exurban, Small town, Rural
Ideal location(s):
Low density single family housing urban/suburban, small towns., Ozarks, rural E-SE Texas, PNW, Appalachia, Upper midwest
Duration of my current location:
Want to eventually commit to a permanent location if it goes well
Relocation capacity:
Ready to move from my general area now or in the near future, Ready to move from my current residence now or in the near future
Resource sharing:
Time bank, Pet care swap, Garden (share work and produce), Farm or food forest (share work and produce), Emergency preparedness efforts, Meal preparation
My socioeconomic status:
No income (or extremely low) but will trade work for room, board, and/or learning
Leisure and lifestyle:
Very frugal about leisure and entertainment expenditures
Leadership availability:
I'm not currently available to be part of a core leadership team
Roles and responsibilities:
In a reciprocal relationship you give about as much as you get, but it happens without keeping track, In a small family-like group, the saying applies, “to each according to their need, from each according to their abilities", Clear responsibilities are important to minimize conflict
Practical skills:
Cleaning, Gardening or crop cultivation, Permaculture, Bookkeeping, Organizing & labeling
Experience or schooling:
Horticulture or permaculture, Political science & history, Animal training or care, Bookkeeping/accounting
Occupation(s) and expertise:
Baker, "gardener", nursery worker, bookkeeper, data entry clerk, janitorial/maintanance worker, warehouse inventory control (pre computer based)
Years lived in an IC:
No experience, but determined to make it work
Experience in community:
Only once lived in a condo with 6 other individuals, for about a year, in my mid-20s
Generation:
Gen X
Generations intended in IC:
Children (born 2013 or later), Gen Z (born 1997 – 2012), Millennial (born 1981 – 1996), Younger boomer (born 1955 – 1964), Older boomer (born 1946 – 1954), Pre-boomer (born before 1946)
Number of non-working adults:
1
Alcohol (tolerable rules):
Should be allowed after work hours
Tobacco smoking (tolerable rules):
Should only be allowed outdoors
Cannabis (tolerable rules):
Should be allowed in designated areas only
Psychedelics (tolerable rules):
Should be allowed by those authorized to use them for ceremonial purposes
Illegal recreational drugs (tolerable rules):
Should not be policed by the community, as long as no minors are involved and others are not negatively impacted
Overnight guests (tolerable rules):
Should be permitted in limited circumstances as decided by the governance process, Should be allowed in designated guest areas, Should not be a concern of the community, as long as everyone's privacy is respected
Daytime visitor access (tolerable rules):
Should require that community is informed of planned visits, Should not be restricted after certain individuals or visitor types are approved
Nudity (tolerable rules):
Should be welcome and discussed through the governance process, to consider each individual’s preferences
Required disclosures:
On sex offender registry
Religious or spiritual practice-based IC:
No mandate of strict adherence to shared religious beliefs and practices
My religious beliefs or practices:
Atheist
Practices welcome in IC:
Atheist, Agnostic, Spiritual but not religious, Christian, Muslim/Islam, Hindu, Sikh, Bahai, Spiritualist, Pagan, Wiccan, Taoist, Jainist, Pantheist, Native American / First Nations, Shamanic or indigenous animist, Zoroastrian, Kabbalah
Ecological preservation ethics:
Local food commitment for low carbon footprint, Eating vegan, vegetarian, or certified humane meat, Use of alternative power such as solar or wind, Commitment to reduce, re-use, recycle, Gray water recycling where permitted, Composting toilet
Belief-related practices:
Daily bell ring, allow for small space for individual silent reflection/meditation, preferably in as Nature as is possible on site
Wisdom sharing:
No one person should have the final say on how the "household" is run. I am an anarchist as much as I am an "authoritarian communist" (meaning I believe certain practices, policies, "rules" and modes of production MUST be dictated together by the entire community, and not by any one individual, nor a small group of elites)
Size of community:
6 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 50
Sense of togetherness:
An IC should have regular opportunities to encourage all to share their feelings, An IC should have regular mandated “group work” to resolve conflicts as they arise
My gender + number:
Male
Genders welcome in IC:
Non-binary, Male, Female
My current couple situation:
I'm single or divorced, It's complicated
Couple situations welcome in IC:
Committed closed partnership(s) (e.g., married monogamous couples), Single (not in a committed closed partnership), Available somewhat (e.g., in open relationship)
My sexual orientation:
Monogamous, Straight
Sexual identities welcome in IC:
Heterosexual (straight), Cisgender (gender aligns with natal sex), Monogamous (committed to a single sexual partner), Non-monogamous, LGBTQ+ (non-normative gender identity and/or same-sex attraction), Polyamorous (in more than one physically intimate relationship with consent of all involved), Polygamous (married to more than one spouse)
Sex & intimacy norms in IC:
Celibate community, Primarily left to the individual to determine, with the understanding that personal choices can impact community culture, Other
Physical affection:
I don’t enjoy casual hugs; I reserve physical affection for a very small number of people, It depends
My availability for physical intimacy:
Want to take it really slow to be sure a commitment can last, Want to take it slow, be friends before more involvement
Socioeconomic status:
Affectively poor and unhoused
Children in IC:
Children are welcome but not a necessity (not a dealbreaker issue)
Children present in household:
No dependent children
Other people’s children:
Children are the responsibility of their parents, so any shared care needs to be agreed on between individuals, I prefer a community in which there are on-site designated childcare facilities to allow other adults to work
Behavior correction:
Parents shouldn't be offended if other adults respectfully question their child(ren)'s behavior, Parents shouldn't have to micro-manage their child(ren) for the benefit of adults around them
I prefer that children not be exposed to
violent images or lyrics, guns, nudity, sexual behavior or images, drug use
Dogs:
Indoor dog(s) okay, Indoor dog(s) okay if small, Indoor dog(s) okay if some rooms are off limits, Outdoor dog(s) okay
Cats:
Indoor cat(s) okay, Outdoor cat(s) okay
Pets or farm animals I have or want:
I currently spend 24/7 in a room with 2 frenchies, and have always been the one to do the daily care for any and all dogs or cats in every house I have lived
Special food needs:
Strongly prefer home-processed foods
Plant-based or not:
Fish okay, Cage-free eggs okay, Conventional eggs okay, Small local dairy products okay, Conventional milk products okay, Certified-humane meat okay
Organic:
Organic non-certified is okay, Commitment to local-grown as much as possible
Shared meals (acceptable norms):
Prefer shared meals weekly or monthly, Shared meals should be optional, Shared meals are necessary community glue, Shared meals are necessary for efficiency and low cost
Medical risk bubbles:
I can commit to taking extra precautions for others in a high-risk category
Pandemic norms:
Sanitize hands frequently in public, Vaccinated, Unvaccinated, Keep good health practices for good immune function, Whatever results from group decision-making process
Health conditions:
I am autistic (also, since I already "self isolate", I rode out the pandemic, and still do, merely by not leaving the house, and social distancing almost always)
Noise level:
A quiet serene living space should be the norm, Parents with children shouldn't have to constantly keep them quiet, Different noise tolerance can be managed by having designated times for noise and quiet, Just keep it down enuf that neighbors don't complain
Sleep:
I keep a late bedtime, I often stay up past midnight, I’m not very consistent with my waking and bedtimes, Not applicable (e.g., not planning to share living space that's close to sleeping space)
Sleep needs & noise:
if I continue to sleep in the daytime, I would require a very dark space to do so
Comfort & convenience:
I enjoy a rugged life and hard physical work, I can participate in a rugged life and hard physical work, I can tolerate extreme temperatures, I can participate with others who do not tolerate rugged life or extreme temperatures
Tech savvy:
I'm about average with tech use
Wifi:
I need to be consistently connected to wifi during work hours, I can work without consistent internet connection
Off-grid:
Is a workable favored option, Is workable for a part time location, Is okay but not so important
Leisure time:
I usually prefer to have a Youtube video playing at all times, even when I sleep, but not if I am outside
Films, books, music, podcasts, shows:
"Let's Play" game VODs, educational videos, leftist news and commentary, critiques of capitalist society, and propaganda. No music any more, but open to live, organic "noise making"
Political orientation:
Outsider left
Culture influencers:
Too many to list. I listen to many prominent "Youtubers" who talk Marxism, Leninism, Maoist, and other adjacent leftist tendecies
Extroversion (under 50% means more introverted than average):
2
Emotional even keel (under 50% means more ups & downs than average):
43
Agreeableness (under 50% means less compliant or more contrary than average):
56
Conscientiousness (under 50% means more easygoing than average):
84
Open to new experiences / imagination (under 50% means more traditional than average, sticks with "tried and true"):
52
Tendency for dealing with others' expectations:
Rebel
Myers-Briggs (& Keirsey-Bates) temperament type:
ISTJ-T
Enneagram type:
You are most likely a type 5. Taking wings into account, you seem to be a 5w6
Astrological sign(s):
Cancer
Weaknesses and superpowers:
I have a tough time "engaging" with others, and I prefer to have those tasks and jobs to do that I can and wish to do, in order to be "part of the community" and "social" I DO listen very well, and will even try to solve other's problems, if I feel I can help in any way. I also can partake in important tasks/projects with full attention, if I am interested in it, spending much longer doing so than others would wish to. I get very engrosed in certain things.
A note about me/us:
I just wish to be left alone, when I state that I need to be alone. Allow me walk away when things get heated. Allow me to write a letter instead.
Dealbreakers:
Anybody who feels they MUST be a "boss" to others. It's fine if they choose to be so, but I will refuse to obey, should I not agree to the dictation. Individuals who seem to be a magnet for "drama". Bullies and mean People. Fascists can fuck right off.
Dealmakers:
People who truly listen to me, and endeavour to understand what I truly need.
On scale of 0 (imperturbable) to 27 (highly sensitive), 15 or more = HSP:
23
On scale of 0 (prefers calm & predictable) to 20 (sensation seeking):
9