Clean Syncronicity

This spring I left Rapunzel’s tree house (24th & I), which I had been renting for the past five years, to run off with Prince Charming and live in a castle far, far away (Del Paso). One ill turn deserves another and our little fairy tale quickly turned from dream to nightmare. Spending $50 a day in gas just to make enough to get back home again and facing a looming eviction, I did what I always do in hard times—I turned to my friends. I put the call out for new digs, close to work, cheap rent, and-if I was lucky-a yard to play in. Not knowing what he was agreeing to, I’m sure; a friend extended the spare room in a cooperative housing situation he’s involved with along with some garage space. When I say some garage space, I mean a lot of garage space. This sucker is 900 square feet and 1/3 of it is packed with our crap. But I digress; this is a situation I never would have voluntarily put myself into—hippy dippy that I am. I love the concept but it has always been one for other people. Sure, I have had dreams of owning property collectively with others of like mind, and even of building a network of people to do this with that could live sustainably off the grid. The thought, however, was always to keep separate houses, separate spaces. I hadn’t yet realized the benefits of sharing space with those same like-minded individuals.

I had lived in a similar situation in Santa Cruz when I was barely 21. To my recollection there were nine people occupying a mansion on the hill just a block down Bay Street from the university. Things were much different in that house—let me tell you. So, when I speak euphorically of the current circumstances, please don’t think me naive. These same people at any other time, in any other place, could react quite differently. As it stands eight of us adults, plus a teenager and a baby, reside in one large three-story house—with a fabulous yard to get dirty in, go figure. Every day this place—and this group—reminds me that when I am living my Truth, life is good.

We are all of like mind, as I said, so maybe that contributes to the synchronicity of feelings and action. I would wager, however, that the same phenomena I experience in this microclimate extend to the rest of the world. An example would be the bathroom; with six people plus guests using one facility, things can get pretty rugged. The shower never dries out hence, is always soap scummy. The floor is continually a mess with everyone’s hair and splatter. And with a toilet that stinks up this fast, there is no room for slackers. One afternoon I decided I couldn’t take it any longer! Just as I lathered up the shower stall walls with copious amounts of Soft Scrub a fellow housemate came on his own crusade donning armor of shower cap and gloves, equipped with his own heavy-duty scrub brush. We held compassionate sentiments and our individual abilities to act on our feelings led both of us to a place not only of greater understanding, but of deep gratitude. Because we picked up the vibe to expurgate floating around the house, we both recognized that other people were cleaning, and the bathroom got the best scrub of its life. This is just one shining example, but from only a two-month stay I could list off at least twenty more. The premise remains the same. When we pay attention to the honest voice inside, and then take action in accordance, not only do we make ourselves happy, but the rest of the world seems to be thinking the same thing and falls right in line. Maybe Brezsny is right. Maybe the world really is conspiring in our favor…