ing free. His "Taker" mindset of being smug, closed minded and scheduled is all lost as he spends time with Marissa. "Marissa's got positively hypnotic powers: when she's here I loose track of time, obligations, my American preconceptions."Another experience of Ecotopian living that changed Will from acting like a "Taker" into a "Leaver" occurred while he was living with his communal family. The group of writers he lives with is an extension of his real family. Their purpose is to be a support structure for each other. They are to be friends, loved-ones, parents, and lovers. They believe that this support helps people in their lives and always gives them a place to go when they are in trouble or just need some company. At first Will finds this way of living a bit strange, but it soon begins to grow on him. An example of this is when he helped clear the table and tried to do the dishes one evening. Will began to shuttle the dishes off quickly and get them into the sink. "'My [Gosh] Will, said Lorna, 'whatever are you doing, running a race?' Everybody else laughed. 'What do you mean?' 'Well, you're hauling dishes like you were being paid by the dish. Very un-Ecotopian!'" The Ecotopian point of view is if that some thing is worth doing, it ought to be done in a way that's enjoyable. Will finds this hard at first, but ultimately ends up relaxing and taking up the "Leaver" Ecotopian ways and has fun doing the dishes. Will and Bert got into a big fight one evening when Will took his article to the wire office without letting Bert read over it. "'I offered to work with you as a brother. That was important. Do you have any idea of how competitive and detached you seem to us?' He was furious and I had the uncomfortable feeling he was right -I had missed an important opportunity." Will realizes that his opportunity to receive help and comments about his paper was very important. From this he begins to see that his "family" is there to help him....
