Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
It’s been almost two months since my family had to move out of our home and into a rotating set of Airbnbs and hotels while we waited for work to be completed on our home. Back in October, we discovered water damage after we had a plumber address a leak in the house, and well, here we are, dealing with all of the joys and pains of homeownership in other people’s homes. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like being out of your own house while it’s being renovated and realizing that the Airbnb you’re in also needs some work done. Whew, chile.
Obviously, since my family of six has been out of our house, we’ve been experiencing a downsized lifestyle, living out of suitcases with the bare minimum amount of clothes, shoes, toys, etc. And you know what? It’s been working. I’m a person with WAY more shoes than I need. I’ve been wearing a rotation of four shoes since we left, and I haven’t really missed the daily grind of deciding what I’m going to wear based on what shoes I feel like wearing that day. Shoot, I’ve been wearing various combinations of the same clothes — washed frequently, of course — and I haven’t felt deprived at all. Granted, I haven’t been attending fancy gatherings or events, and the one time I did need to get dressed up, I went to my house and got a suit. I’m just saying, I’m enjoying this life where I don’t have a ton of stuff bogging me down.
Contrast that to the scene at my home yesterday where I have people laying down carpet to address the holes in my old carpet created by my water damage issue. I, like many folks I know, have a book collection. I have two bookcases that sit face-to-face on my second floor and really, I need another one. Well, for the carpet folks to do their carpet thing I had to MOVE all of the books off the shelves, and I have never been so…
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