bootsykowan's Blog

I'm finding that within family matters, architecture is a really important subject with me.  It's part of growing old.  I seem to focus on the basics now: shelter, food, clothing, security.  I love the architecture of the garden apartments where I live.  It's like living in an area made up of castles.  There so much common area here that equalizes us all, of every age and mentality.  We can help each other if we viewed the individual building where we lived as a castle.  It turns out that shelter and security are really closely related.  Eldercare is all about security.  I'm beginning to find out that I have the same concerns about me that I had about my young children.  It's like I'm my own child.  A child that has a huge memory.  I wonder if any one who is growing old ever thinks about architecture with respect to eldercare - shelter/security.  It's simply more than filling out a financial form.  I wonder if social workers and psychiatrists and psychologists legally talk about these things with their elderly customers?  
Hmmm, come to think of it.  When I relocated to a foreign country called Dallas County, Texas, I was completely scared of everyone because of threats.  So for 4 years I kept my blinds closed and wouldn't even look at my neighbors.  Then one neighbor was giving me grief about mowing my property and assuming it as part of theirs.  So I had to get involved with lawyers.  That led me to review my Title because I thought I had problems with the neighbor on the other side.  Sure enough.  So I called this neighbor up to discuss the boundary between us.  He invited me over for a drink and all we talked about was the architecture of the community.  This included the flood plain/plane and all the problems they suffered because of the creek behind our homes.  How neighbor turned against neighbor even in school with the children.  We became good friends since that fateful night.  Even though I'm back "home" I have them in living in my mind right next door to me. 
In fact, most of our combined lives  as neighbors have centered around shelter/security.  I was able to keep my blinds open and enjoy the view without being scared.