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celebration
August 2009 
We're Half-Way There - so let's have a party!
Posted on Nov 8th, 2008
by 
asecondlifediary
asecondlifediary
IN A FEW DAYS, our community will be six months old, so we have decided to have a "Half Way There" birthday celebration on our beautiful island.
One of our members, MeLa has created a lovely floating platform which sits on the north-western corner of our island, facing the wonderful beach created by another member, Rose.
Our community now has over 40 members - some more involved than others - but all loving the atmosphere of the island itself.
Either I, or Cal, will write again soon filling you in more thoroughly about developments on the island. I am presently still travelling, although I'm nestled into a very comfortable place in Esperance (Western Australia) where I am hoping to stay for the summer and enjoy the gorgeous ocean beaches here.
Several issues have arisen in our community, with the major one being, "Should we have a leader?" General consensus seems to be that since Cal is the one who paid for the island and continues to make the monthly tier payments, that he should be 'the boss', but this is a position he adamantly refuses to take on.
I have more of a bossy nature, and while I don't particularly want to be the leader of the group, there are times when I think it would all just be a lot simpler if I said, "Okay, I'll be a boss" just so we can get on with other things. The thing that strikes me most is the attitude that the person who pays for something should naturally just assume the authority of calling the shots.
Both Cal and I were hoping that the community would coalesce into a new kind of society which wouldn't require one person in charge. Our intention would be that we would all occupy the island together and make decisions with group consensus.
We're still optimistic that this will happen. It just might take some time for people to come to the same conclusion that we have - that we have the perfect opportunity to create a whole new society here - one of our own design, rather than just perpetuating old models.
We are very democratic on the island and because I am an impatient sort of person, sometimes I do find the endless meetings and discussion of issues rather tedious, but in the long run it's the only way we are going to show people a new way of living together. It still surprises me that people are quite content to let someone else make all the decisions for them.
Cal is much better at consensus than I. I tend to be of the "Lead, Follow or Get Out Of The Way" philosophy. lol But then, he's a much nicer person.
Anyone who reads this blog, and who would like to come to our "Half Way There" party, please leave us a message here and we'll be in touch to give you all the details.
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