Home

“There’s no place like home,” says Dorothy as she

clicks her ruby red slippered-heels together.  A place

she found rather dull once upon a time now holds all

she could ever wish for.  I know how she feels—I can

be like the cat who wants to be let out, and then back

in, and then back out…and then back in.  The home

should be a place of refuge and safety which waits for

you at the end of a day’s travels.  A home can be a

refuge, but it can also be a place of celebration,

mourning, anticipation, or desolation.  What makes

the difference?

A home is much like a tiny universe, where there are

forces that push and pull against each other.  Those forces usually come in the form of family members, roommates, or

friends.  We all contribute to the environment that fills the space, and the same physical house can change atmospheres

entirely with a new set of inhabitants.

Growing up, I lived in a cookie-cutter

apartment complex.  Each unit was

identical to the next, yet a unique

family lived in each one.  We all

watched the same t.v. shows, ate the

same basic kind of food, and played

with the same Barbies and Fisher Price

toys, but I can remember visiting my

friends with the same walls as I had.  It

was a completely different world in

each apartment—as if there was an

internal, invisible home inside of the physical structure.

My great grandmother built her house with

her own two hands after her husband died.  I

usually don’t know the history of homes I

see, and so one of my favorite things to do is 

stroll through streets of historic homes and

make up stories for each one based on their

aura.  The older homes are mysteriously fun,

with their worn charm and trustability, made

sturdy with fine craftsmanship and unique

designs.

One of the best dreams I can recall

was one where I was walking

through a plaza, laughing with my

family and surrounded by

mansions on all sides.  The

structures were lovely; however,

the happiness came from the

people that encompassed me.  I

decided that the dream was my

interpretation of heaven, and that

the afterlife will be a very lonely

place without loved ones to share my home with.