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.