Can a House Talk?
And if it can, what does it say?
It can talk about the people who live there—what kind of people they are. Do they care for their house to make it a home? What do they cherish or value? How do they keep their yard/lawn? Do they like one kind of architecture or trimmings?
What kind of recreation do they enjoy—church, travel, athletics, guests, gardening?
What age are they—newlyweds, young parents, mid-aged adults, or retired with time to care for lawn and flowers? Do they leave their home for a period—vacations, travel, military, etc.? Is someone new living in the home—renting, purchasing, retired? Do they have family there now or in the past?
What hobbies take their time and what kind of occupations? Do autos tell you? Do they work from their house or go to work and return at regular hours (of irregular times)?
Is the house empty now? Or the persons ill, elderly, in retirement places, deceased, or grandparents who have young children coming from time to time to visit or “overnight”?
Are the owners entertainers with frequent guests, or do they appreciate isolation and quiet activities?
Next time you might find yourself in a new or different area or part of town, pick a house that interests you and see if you can decipher who the people are, what they do, what they like (or don’t).
Are they caring, meticulous, have work, but hopefully, not too busy, or are they uncaring, unable to keep up? Or, even worse, have they deserted the lonely home for retirement somewhere else or death?
Hopefully, if the house has remained a long time (even if run down or deserted, it may “come to life” again with new renters, owners, roommates, or friends.
In the end, what “talk” a house has is determined by the occupants, owners which may or may not be discernible to passersby. One key to information about residents, beyond the aforementioned ones can or may be derived by noting the forms of travel parked there: cars, trucks, recreational vehicles, vans, which can aid in defining hobbies, recreation, monetary status, and lifestyle.
If a home can talk, what does it say to passersby about owners occupation, interests, family, age, citizenship, traits, and lifestyle?
Does your home represent you in the way you would like neighbors and passersby to see you?
By Roberta McKee
[This piece by Roberta is a great writing exercise. Give it a try! Ariele M. Huff—leader of Writer’s Round Table at Edmonds Senior Center.]
Bio: Roberta McKee is a long time Washington resident and retired teacher who now lives in Shoreline.
SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).
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