Levi’s Beehive
Younger boomer
Male
Hodgen, Oklahoma
Speed of commitment:
Slow: Open to a situation where trust can build over time, Fast: Open to a situation that takes everyone being all-in from the start (with contracts & clarity), In between: Open to a commitment after a defined time for a trial run
IC types I would live in or am forming:
Van life co-travelers, Ecovillage or agrihood, Farm or ranch, Cottage industry in community (e.g. biz partners or recreation venture teams), Retreat or event hosting as community, Artist collective & live work space, Spiritual commune, Life partner with community values, RV or mobile home parks, Multi-house collective (resource-sharing among houses not adjacent), Trial run: Join a household, Off-grid commune, Tiny homes community, Activist commune supporting shared work, Expat residential communities
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 or cofounder: I’m seeking to join likeminded others as a core group in founding a new IC. Together we will establish a vision and norms.
Service-based IC (population):
Animal rescue, Aged out foster teens
Vulnerable population as a proportion of residents:
No can do
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)
Ownership types:
Rented with shared housing or shared land, Rent a room as a trial run
Reasons for shared housing:
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, Traveling frequently and wanting a home base that’s maintained, Shared land, shared community hub such as gardens or meeting space, but not shared housing), Working together in a business (e.g., remote location)
Décor of shared areas:
A consistent aesthetic theme is important
Clutter level of shared living areas or work space:
Super tidy at diagnosable OCD level, Tidy in shared spaces, with a designated place for things
Cleanliness level (germs & crumbs):
All food counters & tables wiped down daily to not attract pests, Disinfectants must be ecologically safe products (chemical sensitivity), Disinfecting is not important, Dishes washed (or loaded into dishwasher) daily to not attract pests
Yard or landscaping:
Mowed, trimmed, manicured outdoor space, Covered space for storage, Space for kids and/or dogs to run, Gardens and edible landscaping
Neighborhood or scenery:
Nature scenery is a priority worth paying extra for, Clean well maintained urban or suburban surroundings are a priority worth paying extra for
Current city/town and state/province:
Hodgen, Oklahoma
Nation(s) of current residence:
United States
Preferred regions:
Southwest U.S.
Population density:
Rural, Remote
Duration of my current location:
Committed to current location because of work or studies
Relocation capacity:
Committed to the current general location for the foreseeable future, Committed to my current residence for the foreseeable future
Resource sharing:
Car share, Pet care swap, Garden (share work and produce), Farm or food forest (share work and produce), Joint business (share work and profits), Tool share (maintenance and use of expensive equipment), Meal preparation
My socioeconomic status:
Close to median income
Leisure and lifestyle:
Allocate a significant portion of funds to leisure and entertainment
Leadership availability:
I'm currently in IC leadership
Roles and responsibilities:
Transactional relationships are more fair; to a reasonable extent there should be accountability through written agreements, In a small family-like group, the saying applies, “to each according to their need, from each according to their abilities", Flexible responsibilities are often best, which aren't assigned or micromanaged
Practical skills:
Cooking for groups, Childcare, Cleaning, Gardening or crop cultivation, Farm animal care, Grant-writing, Group facilitation
Experience or schooling:
Food preservation (e.g., cheesemaking, home canning, drying, smoking), Activism & organizing, Humanitarian work, Ecological science, Biological sciences, Event planning & management, Psychology, Ordained minister or religious scholar, Experience teaching adults, Animal training or care, Outdoor survival skills (e.g., hunting, foraging, fire starting), Sports or physical recreation, Travel, Filmmaking, Public speaking
Occupation(s) and expertise:
Management
Years lived in an IC:
Lived with roommate(s) or housemate(s), Lived with sibling(s) or other non-parent relatives, 1-5 years in IC
Experience in community:
Mixed
Professional certifications or degrees:
MA, BS,
Generation:
Younger boomer
Generations intended in IC:
Children (born 2013 or later), Gen Z (born 1997 – 2012), Millennial (born 1981 – 1996), Gen X (born 1965 – 1980), 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 regulated by group decision only if it becomes problematic
Tobacco smoking (tolerable rules):
Should be allowed in designated indoor areas, Should only be allowed outdoors
Cannabis (tolerable rules):
Should be allowed after work hours, Should be allowed in designated areas only, Should be regulated by group decision only if it becomes problematic
Psychedelics (tolerable rules):
Should be allowed by those authorized to use them for ceremonial purposes, Legal psychedellics are okay if not disrupting to others
Illegal recreational drugs (tolerable rules):
Should be dealt with by group decision in a manner to support non-use, 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 allowed in designated guest areas, Should be subject to group decision only if it becomes problematic, 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 be discussed and limited by the IC agreements, Should not be restricted after certain individuals or visitor types are approved
Nudity (tolerable rules):
Should be limited to private rooms or private residences (as is the norm outside the IC), Should be welcome and discussed through the governance process, to consider each individual’s preferences
Required disclosures:
Past felony conviction, On sex offender registry, Current addictions even if under treatment, Credit check
Religious or spiritual practice-based IC:
No mandate of strict adherence to shared religious beliefs and practices
My religious beliefs or practices:
Atheist, Agnostic, Spiritual but not religious, Hindu, Sikh, Wiccan, Taoist, Jainist, Pantheist, Native American / First Nations, Shamanic or indigenous animist, Zoroastrian, New Thought (law of attraction), Rastafarian, Thelema
Practices welcome in IC:
Atheist, Spiritual but not religious, Hindu, Sikh, Pagan, Wiccan, Taoist, Jainist, Astrology, Pantheist, Native American / First Nations, Shamanic or indigenous animist, Zoroastrian, New Thought (law of attraction), Rastafarian, Thelema
Ecological preservation ethics:
Local food commitment for low carbon footprint, Commitment to reduce, re-use, recycle, Gray water recycling where permitted
Wisdom sharing:
Kindness
Size of community:
11 to 20
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, An IC should foster close interpersonal relationships, I do not want to be required or pressured to share feelings in a group setting, I do not want obligatory group work where we are expected to help resolve disputes, Relationships should develop naturally, not thru team building exercises or mandated group circles
Gender + number:
Male
Genders welcome in IC:
Male, Female
My current couple situation:
Prefer not to say
Couple situations welcome in IC:
Committed closed partnership(s) (e.g., married monogamous couples), Single (not in a committed closed partnership), Not available (e.g., you're okay if you're not going to be a threat to my primary relationship)
My sexual orientation:
Not necessary for others to know
Sexual identities welcome in IC:
Heterosexual (straight), Monogamous (committed to a single sexual partner)
Sex & intimacy norms in IC:
A topic not discussed by the community
Physical affection:
It depends
My availability for physical intimacy:
Prefer not to share at this time
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:
I want to be in a setting in which all feel a responsibility for well-being of children in the community, Children are the responsibility of their parents, so any shared care needs to be agreed on between individuals, I am open to a community of free-range children who are allowed to roam the majority of community spaces unsupervised
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, Parents shouldn't allow their child(ren) to be loud and disruptive in group settings
I prefer that children not be exposed to
violent images or lyrics, adult nudity, sexual behavior or images, vulgar language, drug use
Screen time (acceptable rules):
Screen-free locations agreed on as a group, Screen-free times agreed on as a group to encourage outdoor play with peers, Parents should agree on online content allowed (e.g. video games, social media) because children will share with each other
Schooling:
homeschool, unschooling
Dogs:
Indoor dog(s) okay, Indoor dog(s) okay if some rooms are off limits, Outdoor dog(s) okay
Cats:
Outdoor cat(s) okay
Pets or farm animals I have or want:
Chickens pheasants
Plant-based or not:
Strictly vegan (no animal products), Primarily vegan, Primarily vegetarian, Fish okay, Cage-free eggs okay, Conventional eggs okay, Small local dairy products okay, Conventional milk products okay, Certified-humane meat okay, Conventional meat products okay, Everyone makes their own food choices even when eating together
Organic:
Commitment to all organic, Organic non-certified is okay, Commitment to local-grown as much as possible, Commitment to non-GMO, All food choices are accepted, Not applicable (e.g., no obligation for shared meals)
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't live with or work physically close to people who need strict precautions from people in their IC
Pandemic norms:
Not applicable
Noise level:
One quiet space should be reserved for those who need to focus on work, Parents with children shouldn't have to constantly keep them quiet, As long as the vibe is positive, loud gatherings can be frequent, A lively social environment should be the norm, 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’m an early riser, I keep an early bedtime, My sleep is not easily disturbed
Comfort & convenience:
I like my cushy life, 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
Tech savvy:
I'm about average with tech use
Wifi:
I'm concerned about the effects of constant wifi exposure, We have reliable wifi
Off-grid:
Is a workable favored option
Dealbreakers:
Laziness