sentimental attachment
My parents are selling their house in Illinois and building their dream home in the woods. It’s something they have always wanted to do and they are finally taking that leap.
The house they are selling has been theirs for over 30 years. I spent my entire childhood there, and my older brothers spent most of their youth there too. The house I grew up in obviously has a great deal of sentimental value.
So this past weekend, Rodney and I were in town visiting. We had a great lunch with my parents and started talking about how they would sell it. I casually joked that I would like to buy the house.
We talked and talked, and it started to sound really good. Since their house is in a very small town, the price is significantly less. We could sell our house, buy their house, and still have money left over.
My parents thought it was a great idea (of course) and Rodney and I were starting to like it too. I work from home, so it doesn’t matter where I live as long as I’m happy. And Rodney works in the hotel industry, so his job is fairly portable too.
But then the reality set in. This is a very small Midwestern town. The selection of everything is limited. Small grocery stores, crappy restaurants, nothing to do for entertainment. These are serious things that have to be considered. You don’t just buy the house, you buy the whole neighborhood and even the town with it. And the real estate market is terrible there. The unemployment rate is always up, and property values are way down. That’s a lethal combination if we ever wanted to sell it later.
Plus, the house does need some work. Okay, a lot of work. I love it for the sentimental value, but it needs a lot of updating. All the walls have dark wood paneling. That would have to go. Wallpaper galore. No way. Old appliances, repairs to the structure… I get dizzy thinking about all the negative things.
The house is in good condition and perfectly suitable to live in. I’m just saying cosmetically it needs a huge update. So that idea quickly dissipated…
Still, every once in awhile, it does cross my mind. I guess most people feel that way about the house they grew up in.
UPDATE: Wait… something creepy just crossed my mind. If we bought the house, that means my parents’ bedroom would become our bedroom. Rodney and I would have sex in the same room I was conceived in! No way… no sireee…. We are DEFINITELY not buying that house!
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I’m glad you came to your senses…..as cool of an idea as it sounds….it is just that….an idea. Some people can deal with that small town thing….but I’m certainly not one of them. And the remodeling? Nope. Done it. Sick of it. Makes me resent the house sometimes. I’m such a lazy SOB. I don’t want to do anything anymore. And the sex in the same bedroom? Hum. Seems like there was a naughty movie about that, wasn’t there???
lol.
okay. wait. youre from illinois! me too! born and raised!
I wanted to buy my childhood home. But It would have had to be completely rewired, and the plumbing completely redone. It was a WWII house, so the core structure was done in concrete.
But there was an awesome oak grove out back where I used to play.
Oh well….
Having sex in the same house where one was conceived is just wrong – let alone the same room!!!