mundanity

[kespernorth]

It seems like the only personal conversations I hear going on around here are on the topic of houses bought and sold, kitchens remodeled, cars purchased. They speak of things with real care, real vehemence, like they were talking about the fate of their life and freedom.

The idea of having a serious emotional investment in the color of my kitchen counters is really foreign to me, almost repugnant. It just seems so... horribly dull and meaningless. I don't want to fritter away my private life with "home improvement" and having a deck added to the house. I want to live and dream and write and enjoy the company of my friends and loved ones.

These people need bigger dreams. *sigh*

Comments

[pullthestars.livejournal.com]

believe me, I used to think that it wasn't a big deal. the whole house buying thing. but now... it's changed. I want roots, I want space that I can call my own.

I want someplace that I can invite my friends to, that I can invest part of myself in. I want that deck.. though really I want a big porch first, for the porch swing.

*sigh* it's hard to describe. and it's possible that a lot of it has to do with age (just turned 30 this year). But I would *love* to have conversations with someone about building a deck because that would mean that I'd have my own house.

Dreams change and bend, all the time. you can live and dream and write, as well as discuss what colour the kitchen should be painted.

[kespernorth.livejournal.com]

*nod* I can understand that. It's just that this seems to be all these people care about.

[captainzap.livejournal.com]

Well, if these conversations are going on at work, it's not that surprising. I mean, when I worked at the video store, I fought to find something to talk about other than movies...but could never avoid it. Deep personal conversations are for living rooms and coffee houses. Work is for personal achievement and temporal concerns. At least, that's how it seems to be.

[pullthestars.livejournal.com]

what they said. it's easier to have a conversation about the new countertops than discuss the personal problems that you're having. and there even might be a bit of "I got new countertops" and "Oh Well *I* have brand new marble hand delivered from Italy wrapped in lambswool resting on a bed of roses". i.e. trying to one-up the other people.

[captainzap.livejournal.com]

*looks at Bjorn*

Is this the same guy who was going ape-poo over getting a Palm Pilot last year? And you wouldn't gripe if you were driving a -yellow- sedan?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all innocent of having materialistic fixations, as well as doing my best to be =more= concerned about the bigger issues in life. But hey, we're just being red-blooded capitalist pigs. In other words:

Ooh! Sparkly! :D

[kespernorth.livejournal.com]

My response to that would be that there's a big difference between buying a toy, like a Palm Pilot, and obsessing over renovations for months or years. I just don't feel like I could bring myself to care that much about something like that.

[captainzap.livejournal.com]

Okay, well, look at it like this (and this will repeat a bit of what was said above):

When you've got a place of your own, -really- your own, you wouldn't want to make it -yours- through personalization and care? I mean, you know that sense of satisfaction when you finish a story...but the lingering thought that it still needs tweaking here and there?

A home, for many people, is how they tell their own portion of their personal story. I was born and grew up in the same house. It's truly home to me, and the way it is reflects to me a lot of who I am. When I finally get my own place, and I'm rooted somewhere, I'd want to have it be a place that I feel comfortable in...but things change. I'll change. They'll probably always be things that need a little adjusting, to make it more mine and whoever else's I share it with.

After a time, it becomes less an object, and more an extention of yourself. But the amount of shallowness depends on your level of emotion towards it.

[quiet000001.livejournal.com]

I've been designing houses since I was 12. Since I got together with Neph it's only gotten worse. (Although I must admit I don't agonise over the colour of the countertops, because, well. Black. or stainless steel. And not laminate-crap. Because it's crap.)

I think for Neph and I a lot of it is just... having space that works for *us*. Our requirements are pretty unique to us, and it takes so much more time and energy working to the space you have than if the space was designed correctly.

Also, because Neph is so disabled- our house *is* our primary social arena. People come to us. We therefore want to have a space that works for that- room to put people who want to stay, room for people to gather and bring computers and make food.

Home improvement *is* a huge and largely pointless industry, but- some of us aren't complete freaks, thanks. :P (Also, trust me. If you spend 95%+ of your time in one place, you *really* want it to be nice to be in. I'm convinced the decoration scheme in the current house we're renting is making me insane. I had to take down the freaky teddy bear posters on the walls. They were *staring* at me. Staring, I tell you.)

[devilwind.livejournal.com]

These people need bigger dreams. *sigh*

Bit judgemental aren't we?

People do what makes them happy. If renovating a house, pouring over every detail to make it perfect - that sort of thing - makes someone happy, then more power to 'em.

It's cool to dream of writing and dreaming. But you gotta recognize that not everyone has the same aspirations. It doesn't really make your aspirations better.

JD

My .02 cents

[trilliumgrl.livejournal.com]

While what everyone said above has merit my point is simply this: though I have dreams, aspirations, ect I do not want to talk about them with my co-workers. This is for many reasons, professionalism, being first followed quickly by the fact that theses are not friends, but people I was thrown together with by my job. Dreams and the like are fragile and I have no need to show mine to people who are not my friends. .

[transcendence1.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I succumbed to that, but then again....I was also married for three years and ended up with the house. Honestly though, I'm not that bad..


What color do you think would be good for cabinets anyways??

=Þ~

[kinfae.livejournal.com]

But color is important! Colors have effects on people's moods. You wouldn't want people to feel vaguely unhappy in your kitchen all because of the color of the walls, would you? Or violent, or crazy...well, maybe crazy..

[narnee.livejournal.com]

The idea of having a serious emotional investment in the color of my kitchen counters is really foreign to me, almost repugnant. It just seems so... horribly dull and meaningless.

Some people think making friends on the Internet is dull and meaningless. You don't. It's all a matter of what interests people. Besides, home is home - would you want to have bright yellow kitchen counters? I think not.

I don't want to fritter away my private life with "home improvement" and having a deck added to the house. I want to live and dream and write and enjoy the company of my friends and loved ones.

Then don't. Personally, I want to buy a condo or a house so I don't have to open my doors to anyone I don't want to, and so I can never again have off-white walls. It would be easier for me to live and dream and write and enjoy company in a residence that's really *mine*, where everything is how I choose and I can be proud of it.

These people need bigger dreams. *sigh*

Maybe home improvement is only part of their dreams, and they have others you don't know about.