we built this city...
unlike starship, i never built a city on rock n' roll, but i used to
fantasize about living in a town filled exclusively with punks. it was
just a daydream, so there was no need to be realistic in my thinking.
i thought about free rent,a vegan fast food joint, and shows every
night. everyone, as if by magic, would get along wonderfully, and
order would remain despite the lack of local government. barter would
replace currency and all work would be done on a voluntary basis with
great cheer. i'd like all the residents, since i'd recruit them all
myself. and, of course, i wouldn't have to worry about coming up with
a huge amount of capital to actually purchase the town. i'd simply
find a bunch of abandoned buildings in a glorious setting, and we'd
fill them with prosperous cultural centers and marketplaces. the
federal government would be so impressed with our innovative thinking
that they'd hand the long-neglected space over to us with blessings.
right. ah well, it doesn't hurt to dream. when i came down from my
little cloud, however, i realized what a lacking place punk town usa
would be. since the majority of punks are white, male, middle-class,
and under the age of 30, the hamlet wouldn't have much class, age,
gender, or racial diversity. even though it's nice to think that we
could live on our own organic crops, it's unrealistic to believe that
even the very greenest thumbs could yield a harvest plentiful and
diverse enough to provide adequate nutrition. and health care? well,
let's face it. most punks don't go to grad school. ultimately, i
realized that the closest thing to what i was imagining was an
intentional community, and that i ended my serious considerations of
living in one of those a few years back in favor of attempting to
find a niche in a larger and less homogenous community. i usually end
up avoiding squares and born-again christians, but it's still
interesting to have them around.