What does the idea of home mean to you?
The word home is defined as:
- A place where one lives; a residence.
- The physical structure within which one lives, such as a house or apartment.
- A dwelling place together with the family or social unit that occupies it; a household.
- An environment offering security and happiness.
- A valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin.
- The place, such as a country or town, where one was born or has lived for a long period.
- The native habitat, as of a plant or animal.
In this topic, I thought we would explore this four letter word in great detail, as it seems that it is of primary importance to everyone in the world it seems, and good reason.
According to public data, there are millions of people who are literally homeless, people who sleep in hostels, refugee camps, or sleep rough in the streets.
In the UK alone, there are almost quarter of a million people who are defined as homeless, but the majority, are in temporary accommodation, but in my mind, anyone who has a roof over their head, whether temporary or not is not technically ‘homeless.’
As always, it depends on where you live in the world, and your individual circumstances.
In the UK real homeless people, are seen as people living in cardboard boxes in shop doorways, probably affected by mental health issues, alcohol, and drug addiction, or escaping care homes, violence, people released from prison, and relationship breakdowns.
There are dozens of homeless charities in the UK who help people every day and they are to be commended for their good work, helping people to get off the streets and into safe and secure accommodation.
But.
Most people don’t need this help do they? Most people go to work every day to provide for themselves and their families, and even if they can’t afford to “buy” their own homes, will have social housing provided to them by the council, or a charitable organisation…
so that just leaves us with the socially undesirables, the addicts, the lazy, the alcoholics etc, all of whom are just seen as “problem people” making the world a worse place to live for those who are working hard!
But home isn’t about four walls is it? It’s about creating a safe space, isn’t it ?
A safe space for you, and your family, free from violence and fear, and filled with love…
But that safe space often becomes a place where hatred brews, where love turns to resentment, where anger becomes commonplace, where children witness fighting, where couples lie, and deceive, and cheat on each other, where alcoholism and addiction take hold, where partners start to blame each other for their lack of happiness, lack of money, lack of success, and turn on each other, often with violent consequences…
Soon, the safe space of four walls becomes a prison, a place of sadness, a place no one wants to come back to, love is gone, and the energy in the house is distinctly ‘negative’.
So what is a house really for? Why do we need our own houses?
Privacy is one thing that is touted all the time by the supporters of one man, one woman, one family, one house! But what do you really need privacy for? Sex? Well, on this I can understand…Sex is a very personal thing and no one wants to be seen to be moaning and grunting away! Especially if you don’t want other people to know what your doing!
But everyone has sex! We just don’t want to see it, or be seen doing it!
I guess some of you think I am suggesting we all live in a hippy commune, where we share everything, including each other! But that is most certainly not the case!
Home…is…also…
a place where we constantly spend money on …
new extensions
new kitchens
new carpets
new beds and bedding
new ornaments
renovations
new paint
new crockery and utensils
We constantly need to recreate our homes…
why is that?
AN ODE TO HOME
Home is fences and locks, alarms and gates
trouble In mind
expectations and desires
the constant need for more
more sex, more love, more posessions,
where doors are slammed, shouting,screaming…
Where sheets are defiled, alcoholic stupors begin,
hatred takes root and murder is planned…
In the dawn pedophiles make breakfast and gangsters shower..
Alan macmillan orr
Home is fear of loss, fear of poverty, fear of the cold, fear of no gas, fear of no electricity, fear of no Xmas presents, no birthday presents, no breakfast, no dinner, no love…
think on these words….
