Ownership

Renting an apartment is limiting and freeing. It limits you in creativity (painting the walls deep purple) and sometimes in relationship (no loud parties and Rex probably needs to live elsewhere). It frees you from the responsibility of lawn care, building maintenance, and paying property taxes.

Owning a home is limiting and freeing--just more so. You can use deep purple paint on anything you want. Rex can romp, cavort, and release the puppy within. And if you want to have loud people over for loud music until dawn, you can do that. And you get to pay for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.

But it's yours. All yours. You own it. You own the wonder, the joy, the annoyances, and the small disasters. But they're your annoyances and disasters.

Responsibility of ownership is not a burden, is a gift. And it's a gift that keeps on giving! Chuck Gallozzi wrote, "Personal responsibility is nothing other than the freedom to create our own lives." That's ownership. When you own all your stuff--the good, the bad, and the ugly--you have the steering wheel firmly in your grasp. You are calling the shots and telling your GPS, "No, I want to go this way."

Own your failures. Own your sweet victories. Own your dreams.

And your darling Rex. Even when he poo poos.


(c) 2011 Sheri Smith Bertolini