I am witnessing one of the more interesting outfits a man could wear, being worn, by a man. A fellow is dressed completely in black except for some turquoise tennis/walking shoes. The look is so complete. He has on a little black mask, stretchy and fitted, tailored. On his left arm is a compression wrap that covers three quarters of his otherwise exposed skin. The wrap is black. He has on an undecorated t-shirt, in black and is dressed in some peculiar black trousers. There are three black buttons on the back side of the trouser legs where the cuff would be, if there was one. They are stretchy and quite vulgar, almost dirty looking, like baggy leotards with no fly. I have to assume the trousers are cheaply made because the seams show in an odd way, they are completely exposed. The trousers look sort of like a blanket-stitched tent covering. It would appear that IF he is wearing underwear (and by the apparent size and shape of things, I guess not)…well I would bet they are black, too. I am intrigued. I would never leave the bedroom wearing something like that. Hmmm. Maybe, he is finally doing the laundry and had to step out because there is no coffee in the house. Maybe, he thinks he is Johnny Cash? Nah. Maybe, he has no more money left. Maybe, he is building a new house he has invested every last dime in and he’s had to scrounge the outfit from resale.
There seems to be an awful lot of too-expensive house construction going on in this little far-south tip of Canada. Because we aren’t exactly a high-wage area I’m encouraged to wonder about that. In the case of the homes being built, most are some sort of mansion house. Each place, a little bigger than it’s neighbour, having a little extra space that will not be cleaned or maintained because it isn’t possible to do so without ‘staff’. I cannot figure where the money is coming from to do this constant ‘bigger than’ building. I imagine myself to be middle class and I couldn’t afford that kind of thing nor do I know many people who could. Yes, mortgage rates are low but still…even the household dog would have to be donning an apron and dragging a tomato wagon on one of the farms. Maybe the cats would deign to sell a belly rub or two on some street corner and help out? Meow.
Construction and the cost of it comes up in conversation often. Not the least of the costs are environmental and social ones. Just because it can be done, should it be? Is it moral to indulge ourselves in orgiastic space, chopping down every available tree, pushing all creatures into the new streets to join a homeless parade? Is it ok to allow builders and real estate agents to push prices into the stratosphere because they can? As prices for real estate climb, I wonder how those who are not established already will ever be able to own a place of their own and fully participate in community. Is that a good thing for our future? Luckily, there is me to worry about this for everyone. That leaves the rest of you free to buy, build, sell with abandon. I will discuss this with God and see if I can come up with some sort of agreeable plan forward.
A few of the folks I have mentioned my concern to think that people are evacuating the high costs of places like Toronto and settling here to retire, pushing up our prices and driving the mini-boom. That sure makes sense. Stuff is not inexpensive there. That city, and others has/have exhausted any reason and galloped away on golden chargers. $3,000,000 for a two bedroom wartime house? Uh…really? Without lower costs for renting, where do people who can only get a job at Tim Horton’s live? What happens and is happening to crime rates/homelessness/grief/sorrow?
When I first became fascinated with Canada (1983), it was on a vacation road trip with my younger brother. I met someone during our weekend in ‘The Big Smoke’. The someone started out as a long-distance romantic affair and settled back to long-term friendship because of impracticality. That affair and multiple trips across the border led to another, nearerby romance. That romance was also a Canadian/American affair and lasted almost thirty years. I came here to live and had/am having a darn good life in the land of the Maple Leaf. During my earlier working time, I dove into the ‘work hard, get ahead’ manifesto with zeal. I never questioned what I was doing. My ex-husband and I bought real estate, built new houses and owned a condominium in Toronto. We, too, bought cheap and sold high in ‘hog town’. I did all of the things I now witness and cluck my tongue at. Are we always too late smart?
I just noticed that Mr. Black is wearing a gold cross on a gold chain around his white neck. It is worn outside, dangling and bouncing on his black t. I would never do that. I may have a silver cross that I don’t wear and I may have done what I could because I could. I may be stopping now to think hard about the relative merits of building more, building bigger and the possible social/environmental crimes I, too engaged in —— but I would never wear an outfit like that! Whew? At least I won’t have to discuss that part with St. Peter…. haha. Enjoy the day and don’t worry about stuff. I will do the worrying and feeling guilty.
Robert On The Air 