Tuesday, November 09, 2010

From Coveting To Creating


So did you notice that huge (amazing/mysterious/awesome)house above?

And check out this one:



Where I live, those kinds of houses are everywhere. E-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. And ohhh, the temptations, the thoughts which swirl 'round inside my head when I drive past them:

"Ohhhhh! I want it. I want it bad."
"I could be so happy in that house."
"I neeeeeeed a house like that."

You know.

But thankfully, the older and wiser I become--although those above thoughts still do zip into my head--these thoughts also pop into my brain:

"Wow. What it must cost to heat that place!"
"Wow. What stamina it must require to clean that place."
"Wow. The repairs on that house--and all that yard work--would take everything we've got. Our whole souls, practically."

Trust me--I'm grateful for those thoughts, for they balance the initial, goosebumpy, coveting ones. And oh, how one needs balance and wisdom when one is talking houses, for houses are such a huge, time-and-money-consuming part of our lives.

But rather than just slapping my hand and saying, "No, Debra. Mustn't want what you cannot have. Mustn't crave that," I try to keep it all at a playful level. A dreamy, just-imagine-the-fun-parts level. How would I decorate the many rooms inside that huge house? How would I feel while living there? How would I make my guests feel comfortable? What kinds of meals would I cook in the kitchen? What kinds of games or activities would we do there?"

I like to imagine all that, and then, bring the ideas back to Earth--and back to my own house. Downsized, ok, but still in a creative mode. How many of those ideas could I apply to my own (small, simple) house? How can I richly decorate today, even without money? How can I think differently about my own space? My own yard?

The game, the dreams, become more enjoyable that way--and within reach. To go from coveting to creating is, as Martha would say, a Good Thing.

3 comments:

  1. Oh Debra, I too have all those thoughts when I see other's fancy homes! Thanks for the reminder to enjoy what I have and use my own creativity. Have a great day!

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  2. I am sure we have all had those moments especially if the property is landscaped artfully. Sure it would be nice but then if you look at the whole picture somehow the smaller place is more desirable.
    Odie

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  3. Excellent views!

    Other's houses, lives, etc. can't be as totally wonnnnnnnnderful, as they seem "at first blush." [Think of how much it costs to heat that place! For example.]

    But I also love your dreamy, just-imagine-the-fun-parts idea, too. And use them to spark our own imagination, in our own surroundings.

    Know what? I just posted something, which kind of has these same ideas. I said I wanted to use [something I read about] to learn to never envy anyone else's life, no matter how wonderful it may look. Etc. Etc.

    And I think both our themes, kind-of go quite well together. Yours here and mine, over there. :-)

    Gentle hugs...

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