The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-07-12
Does Your
House Snap
Back At You?
" CYNTHIA LOWRY
AZ MewsssefuFes Writer

~ CYNTHIA LOWRY
Ar NewssssfuFss Wrifsr
For some 564 days . year feel
genuinely sorry for those among
my friends whose private life Il
spent "cooped up In an apart
ment Z
Il Is my habit 10 pity them par
ficularly during the summer when
That thing called outdoor living Il
30 popular, In conversation at
least. ] think Of them, breathing
stale city air, forced into excnr-
sions for the privilege of breath
ing deeply Or even acquiring d.
cent shade Of tan on the face. Their
appreciation Of nature b limited
% the man-made skyline Or i grub
BY little window box. Only neces-
sity, Il seems to me. could make
person prefer an abode to Be
reached BY self-service elevator to
even the simplest home beyond the
city limits.
To-day. siss ASH day. viii
swsp. evsn-stessn, my mortaaes
for siIpesf anybedy,s apartment
lsase. Today ! envy sIsese lucky
souls, sasIly idsnillDsd ~ Ne
Weekend. 81 quick, sans and shs
unfurrowed bsews, whose seio
Tsspensibilify towxrd their livins
quarters Is I nermsI smovnf ~
housekeeping and psyine !
menthIy stipend known Is rent,
Today, N fact. svsn envy poo
pie who live u furnished roems.
The occasion for this mood,
which probably won't last long,
was . recent three day period Of
rain. extraordinary heavy rain.
This natural manifestation, deliv-
cred in unusual abundance and
over 1 holiday weekend, served
to demonstrate practically every
argument against owner-occupied
houses AZ ! understand il, IL
most every American's dream y
70 own N own home.
Holding title to i house. no mat
ter the size Of q banks financial
interest Ia il, Is much like acouir-
Ing 1 PEI. II ii "a short time bsfore
the house gets the upper hand. aud
actually owns The Housewives.
Houses apparently. succeed il
establishing complete dictatorship
over their owners By The use d
adroit psychology. House.owncrs
slave and spend, enthusiastically
il NE complete belief that they
are free agents.
Actually, houses are never con.
tent. II They don't need j new coat
Of paint. they demand new firn-
ace. II they don't need new screens,
it's 4 new porch. Or d new lawn,
or the garage enlarged. Houses
keep then owners 20 busy and for
the most part take their owners
money Ia such modest-sixed chunks
that only In rare circumstances
do the enslaved owners have lei.
sure enough . feel their chains. :
Once ii 1 while. though. houses
apparently feel that they must give
their owners i slight touch a the
whip just enough 10 let them half
realize exactly who Is master.
Usually. houses enlist nature ii
The demonstration. Rain Is ! good
method for this. Leaks suddenly
show Up ii the roof. water pourx
through the cellar windows. the
willow tree slides gently against
The side IL the house
The housewares drops every.
thing and devotes himself com.
pietely ID the service IL his house.
During a recent three-day down
pour. which l believe WAS arranged
On TIE express request Of houses,
every single family within = two'
mile radius oE my house literally
spent most of the weekend On their
kneeg~-in the cellar. bailing out.
Most a as didn't even taks time
out 10 % anything Ike eatlng. We
Just served our houses
Then rs II On signal the rains
stopped. tie san came pus and Al
over TIE neighhcrhood were gieaEn'
ink hcusex. IN seemed 10 me shai
tkry we're actually xiaasing.
And ~ those apartment dwell
exs. who arrnt emotion1lly In.
ealsed wish j honse. spens ths
weekend reading aEd Larry back'
inc "a eiexistca no them. a had
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