Good morning, Thursday. It's hot outside. Really, really hot. Not my favorite look as you know. I'm gonna stay inside all dang day. Cause I can't right now with this weather.
So over the holiday weekend, I watched for about the umpteenth time one of my favorite movies, "Easy Rider". And I couldn't believe how this classic American counterculture film still resonates today. Besides loving Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson's magic chemistry onscreen, I felt a real connection to the whole agenda of the movie- going out on the open road, rediscovering America, and turning the so called American dream on its butt. As I watched I connected with the scene where they drop off a hitchhiker at his home- a communal living situation full of merry pranksters, beautiful weirdos, and those who chose to tune in, turn on, and check the heck out of the constraints of modern life. It stayed with me long after the movie ended because I felt that right now in our American agenda, this was something I could relate to- a desire to check out of society (even if just a fantasy for me) and living with like minded so called weirdos who were seeking a life beyond a bourgeois existence.
And with NPR's excellent examination of the lack of a current middle class and a recent piece about wanting to leave New York because freelance types like myself are being sliced and diced when it comes to what we can charge, it felt more right than I ever imagined.
Funnily enough I ran into a dear pal the other day who joked we should start a commune for "people with high expectations". Sure it's a great phrase but really think about it- people move to big cities like NY, SF, and LA because they have high expectations for their lives- what they can achieve, who they can meet, and what they can experience living at the epicenter of culture, tech, or big time dreams. So naturally as those expectations become less attainable in the usual places, it makes sense those high expectation types would seek an alternative reality to the current rent squeeze and inability to survive in cities that now court the favor of hedge and trust fund types.
So it struck me this am as I read the New York Times piece on communal living, where two women decided to live together with their children in Topanga Canyon (a place always associated with hippies) in Los Angeles, even though they were sharing a rent that was sky high- with rugs from ABC Carpet and sofas from good Italian furniture companies. This is what got me- not that the New York Times was yet again regaling us with stories of the pretentious, but that communal living could actually become a bonafide trend. Because in the modern world, not everyone wants to check out and free love it up- many just want an alternative to the unattainable yet still maintain their high expectations- such as living in a two million dollar house and splitting the bills. Yes it sounds ridiculous and can cause an eye roll or two, but there's a real there there.
And I can also see the pattern from where this came- first we were obsessed with living small, and now- we want to live bigger but maybe share the burden of what that lifestyle entails. And I think we will see much more of this as we continue to embrace the sharing economy created by the likes of Airbnb. I can absolutely see this trending in the vacation home market- perhaps you keep your place in the city but share a place upstate or somewhere else,with some people that share your values and good taste. Can my utopian dream of a chic commune where people wear kaftans and sip cocktails be far behind? High expectations indeed. So whether you're more Easy Rider or Urban Warrior, you may find some respite in getting together and living some shared version of the dream. Look for more communal living situations to crop up as many explore how to manage their expectations, in places where those expectations often exceed their means.
Cause that's what's up this Captain America kind of Thursday in the 718. Yours, in sharing is caring. Come together.XO