Interesting site!
This quote about housing caught my eye, because recently I have been thinking about this.
"My condo was so nasty that I cried when I moved in. It was awful, but it was a place I came to love as the years rolled on and I renovated it. It also meant I always had cash to burn on anything that really mattered. I also was where I wanted to live, far more important than in what you live. "
Where I live space costs 2.5 to 3 times what it would just 10 miles from city center. (To buy. More like 1.75 to 2 times to rent.) I have looked at a few condos out there, and they are newer and in some ways nicer. Still, I am finally figuring out that I can always have less stuff to enable me to fit into a small space, but I can't move the city attractions that I enjoy any closer. I use these attractions over and over each week, so the handiness and the ability to walk to a club or gallery or coffee house or dance class or dance on short notice is worth the extra rent or mortgage.
Often we think that city attractions are too expensive; and big time opera, symphony etc can be. But even these are doable- dress rehearsals can be open for example. But I notice that more important to me are very high quality entertainments that are more neighborhood based. Excellent music, dance performances, plays- done by very skilled but not famous groups in small venues are often “suggested donation $5”, or more or less the price of 2 coffees!
Last night I was walking home from listening to some incredibly good band that played Coltrane, Miles Davis, Monk-- and I realized that I felt young again. Why? Because I was again living like I did when I was young. 50 years ago I started listening to live jazz, going to foreign movies, attending gallery openings, and I liked it. My parents took care of the infrastructure. And now, my infrastructure is so simple that even I can handle it as an afterthought.
So surprise, I still like it! Finally I am again released to point toward pleasure, and leave being practical to somebody else.
Ha