A Justification Involving Home

I met with an old friend last night whom I have not seen in many years.  18 years in fact..  She was surprised, I think, to find I was not teaching English anymore and a bit surprised that I was redesigning houses.  And I started to think about other people who have known me and have always associated me with words, poetry and acting -  and some people, I think, have trouble accepting that I have moved into the visual world of houses.

 I wonder or worry at times that it all seems frivolous in comparison to my former pursuit of theater, poetry, and writing to express the human condition - and helping teenagers do the same.  But then I think about what Ryan, another designer I know, said so beautifully once - but when I asked him to repeat it, he said, "What, what did I say?"  Well, he said something like this:

It matters where people live because it shapes who they are and how they feel about themselves.  And helping people create that space is important because it helps them be the best they can be and achieve all the things they want to achieve.  Home is more than shelter or a place to keep your stuff. Home is a place to recharge and gather with your loved ones, to gain comfort and be fully yourself. And that all seems pretty important to me.

Ernest Hemingway's house in Key West, Florida - the room where he did a bit of writing.