Page 7 - C.A.L.L. #23 - Spring 2004

houses. Each room is looked after by a working
group.
We are very social, arranging parties or making
an ordinary dinner party as soon as we find a
reason; we eat crayfish in August, have an
anniversary party in October, Lucia and end of
term in December, New Years Eve, Maundy
Thursday before Easter (when the witches are
supposed to travel on brooms to meet the devil
on a special blue hill (this must be pre-
Christian)), end of term in June, Midsummer
Sockenstugan
Eve, and during summer when someone calls!
Now and then groups of us go together to
concerts, theaters, walks or other activities. Every
weekday afternoon, those who are at home, have
coffee together.
A new project is embroidering a piece of art for
one of the walls in the dining room. Everyone
who wants to take part makes his/her section.
(We have a few artists among us).
It happens, but not very often, that someone
shows pictures or conducts a short lecture. We
could do that more often. Politics seems to be
banned - I think that is all right, we are too old to
change. Many of us have a leftish past,
demonstrating against the Vietnam War etc.
Sometimes we try to have music evenings.
Most of us are single - only two couples at the
moment. A few never were married, but most of
us are divorced and have children, many have
grand children. This is a very good alternative to
living totally single! Did I forget to tell that it is
25
for the second half of the world - we must be at
least 40? No children below 40 are allowed to
live permanently here (but as guests, of course).
The reason for this is that we will be able to help
each other when we have difficulties looking
after ourselves, as we get weaker and more ill.
We accept new external members to the
organisation, if they accept our statutes. They are
welcome to take part in our activities. When an
apartment is free, a letter is sent out to the
external members and they can apply. We
interview those interested and choose those that
fit in best at that given moment - ʺyoungʺ,
“man”, ʺcollectiveʺ. Sometimes someone gets in
through changing apartments, according to law.
So every year, we get one or two new
inhabitants.
Many of us are academics, but there are also
people with a shorter education. In Sweden, the
economic and class divides are not so wide but
some of those with low pensions do have
difficulty paying their rent - that is why some
have moved out. The house was restored in 1999,
and counts as ʺnew builtʺ according to the rent.
But here, one can manage with only a small
apartment because there are other rooms. If one
feels like one is in a prison, one can just go to the
common rooms! (Most of the year, it is too cold
to sit outside.)
The name of our co-house: Sockenstugan.
Stuga = small cottage, one or two rooms plus
kitchen, not built any longer. Sometimes it also
means a room. (u is pronounced between o in
woman and y). Stugan = the cottage.
Socken = earlier administrative unit, parish. (o is
prounced as in woman)
Sockenstuga was the common building where all
important decisions were taken, courts held etc.
If a child or an old person was ʺput on the sockenʺ
it meant that the community would have to take
care of them. Not a very good connotation.
One of the roads along the house is a very long
road, called Sockenvaegen (Socken road).