Should I stay or should I go? This lyric by The Clash (remember them?) has been sticking with me. For The Clash the question was about a relationship. But it could also be about a house. This week I visited a friend whom I knew when we were much younger. We were in school together, […]
Read More...Safety — The Primal Need
“Safe!” yells the umpire as the runner slides home. Safety. It’s a primal, basic need. We need shelter where we can be free from harm. We need security and stability. These needs are so deeply a part of us that Abraham Maslow, the psychologist, when he constructed his hierarchy of needs, put safety after food […]
Read More...How Emotional Bank Accounts Grow
Harriet heard the front door open and the jangle of keys. From the sounds, she recognized that it was her housemate, Mary. Mary came into the kitchen where Harriet was putting together a salad. A pot of soup simmered on the stove. Mary said, “Hi.” Harriet looked up, smiled and responded, “Hi.” Mary looked around, […]
Read More...A Husband with Dementia Leads to Home Sharing
When the dementia of her husband required more help than she could handle alone, Kathleen began looking for someone who could help lighten the load. Not someone who is a professional caregiver, but simply another pair of hands. Using Her Network She found Alice through her network of friends and community. Alice, in her early […]
Read More...Expectations for Future Home Sharing
I’m currently participating in the Discovering Shared Housing webinar, and it has me thinking of my personal home sharing expectations for the future. Flatmates circa 1995-1998 During the mid-late 1990s, as previously noted, I went the flatmate route because I couldn’t afford my large and lovely flat in San Francisco. I was fortunate to have […]
Read More...“I’m Bourgeois Now,” Says the Former Commune Member
Richard doesn’t look like a former commune member with his starched oxford shirt, fancy watch and short-hair. “I’m bourgeois now, but I’m a hippie inside,” he says. The commune he helped to found, Packer Corners Farm, lasted for twenty-five years. In its day it was famous. The Experiment It started when Richard and friends from […]
Read More...Remember “POSSLQ?” Now it’s POSSSLQ!
POSSSLQ is the phrase that Sharon and Deb use for their relationship. When they got in touch with me and I read their booklet, POSSSLQ: ELDERS LIVING OUTSIDE THE BOX, I was deeply gratified and excited. Their experience is one that I know is possible if and when we are open to it. It goes beyond […]
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