The other day, I had an interesting conversation about how in the coming years the world will change. With the ever increasing cost of living, I said I could foresee the rise of communes. There’s a certain protection in numbers.

Of course, not all communes are made equal. We need only look as far as Jim Warren Jones and his Peoples Temple to see how dangerous such a place could be under the wrong guiding hand. My mom pointed this out, and she’s not wrong.

Today I spoke to her again, and she said she really thought what I said about communes becoming a thing might happen. We’ve since hung up and moved on from the conversation, but it’s been sitting in the back of my head.

There would absolutely be people who would harm others in such situations. We know this, but setting that aside, it could potentially be a way to undermine the current system under which we live. A system in which there is profit in the exploitations, illnesses, and deaths of our fellow people.

No such system should ever exist. 

Everyone should be able to live a life of dignity, and by that no one should have to worry about whether they’ll have a home at the end of the month. No one should have to choose between heating their home or eating. All needs should be met.

Hypothetically, communes could make this happen, but could a society so hellbent on the idea of dying rich form such a place?  I doubt it, sadly.

I don’t have the answers. In truth, I have a lot of questions. A lot of what–if scenarios (like that’s surprising given I’m an author, but more specifically deal in what-ifs of urban fantasy).

Like what-if co-ops became a widespread thing? Could we stop manufacturing plastic and go back to glass containers? Could this help with the mounting cost of living?

I don’t know. I genuinely haven’t a clue and I have no idea where to start. So, maybe we can start here together.

How do you think the future of the world will look?