Rent
I rented for most of my adult life. The places were ok but they reflected my lack of emotional investment. When you rent, you may do it because of your economic reality, for convenience, or maybe because of an unwillingness to commit.
Own
As an owner (well, someone with a mortgage), I can no longer pretend. My wife and I own the blessings and the curses – a backyard, barbecues whenever we want, space for my books and exercise stuff, relative privacy, equity, space, as well as roof leaks, broken boilers, sanitation fines because of inconsiderate passers-by, crime outside the door, and people thinking we have more money than we do.
How Are You Living?
Economic realities aside, I believe that some people are temperamentally predisposed to either owning or renting. Renting for some means mobility and freedom. For others, a “renter’s mentality” is a reflection of their world view. These are the people who are unaware of where their food comes from and who couldn’t care less about the impact their dining choices have on the environment. These are the people who will pay any price for their children’s education and who feel that the education of children less fortunate than their own is “management’s” problem. These are the people who lack awareness of the bodies they inhabit (check out Exuberant Animal) and who carry this alienation into fear of strangers – the “other.” The concept of community to these “renters” means as much as the candy they cheerfully distribute at Halloween.
My wife and I have a lot of headaches and a lot of insecurity because of our decision to be owners but we wouldn’t change a thing. We have put our “bucket” down. Where we live is a reflection of how we live.
