Housing Reflection: Summing Up

I bought a tree for my husband's birthday.  It's a dogwood.  He sees it, in the woods or in a yard, and asks me its name nearly every time.  "It's a dogwood", I say.  He loves them, but can't remember the name, I think because they look different in every season.  


To celebrate him and our new house, I got him a dogwood.  It is small and spindly, but it will grow into something more beautiful with time.  I hope to get to watch it grow here.  We have arrived.  We are home.  

Where people live is a big deal, and where I live has not just been about safety and comfort, it has shaped my character.  Here are some closing thoughts on this story:

• Home is not a place.
• Peace can be found during tumult through integrity.
• Integrity requires fortitude.
• I have more fortitude than I thought I did.
• Trying harder sometimes won't make things better.
• Failure is often a doorway to a better place.
• Hope can be found in failure.

It is my wish to have passed a bit of the hope we have found, to you.  Thank you for reading my story.

Glorified Chicken Coop

This is the "real life" portion of this blog.

I would like to preface/blanket, whatever I say next with how much compassion I feel for those who are homeless.  People without a home are in profound trouble, physically, mentally and likely spiritually.  This makes me questions what is useful help.

I have been cooking in homeless shelters and eating with the folks, since I started college (decades ago).  In my experience, seldom do you meet a homeless person who would benefit from owning a glorified chicken coop.  There are so many legitimate wrongs with this idea, I won't bore you with the list.  What isn't wrong is the loving, creative hearts of the people who care for the marginalized.

The reasons are vast why someone is homeless.  I could explain it to you, but you already know why people are homeless.  If you don't, go volunteer at your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter, and sit down with anyone there and just listen to them.

Real estate.  These micro-structures on public property are not real estate.  This is a fundamental problem with being homeless.  I see a man and woman who park their camper at K-mart & Raley's, every-other night.  Not real estate, just real life.  Is 'real estate' just the space you are currently occupying?

These mini structures (though a childhood fantasy) are unsettling.  I am only one (maybe two) events away from the tragedy of being homeless and I am VERY secure.  My mind tells me to take shelter, and prepare for it.  My body and spirit obey.  Any one of those ingredients can vanish, because life is hard.  What is 'real' about where I live, can vanish as well.

That is the tragedy, not that people can live without a house, but without a home.

I can sit at my computer and pontificate about real estate and housing statistics, but this is another side of the story.  When I look at my reflection through this hometown news story, I feel cut down the middle.  I would rather use the $110 to buy the person a sandwich every day for a few weeks.

Definition of Insanity

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

I think I might be crazy.  The heart/pocket book ache of last year, and selling our house still smarts.  Who in their right mind would willingly walk into another situation again?  Committed again to a house?  Silas would.   That is Silas' hand signing his name, with a date!

We have to move, it's the whole truth.  We can fudge the 'when' of moving, but we have to do it.  We decided that we would keep a tentative-eye on what is for sale.  Last week we found a modest house, at a modest price.  

It has a shop and an office for Silas' small business.  I would want nicer flooring, and appliances, but the price is right, that isn't such an issue.  The real selling point is the location.  The three acres touch the land that I grew up on.  My parents are a simple walk through the trees, past an orchard.  What a fun childhood, running over to grandma's.

There are many things that might not work out.  We only made an offer.  There might be termites, there might be bad water.  If those are problems, we can stay in house in purgatory.  The pool sure helps!