Mark Zuckerberg's Wall

If Mark Zuckerberg wants to build a six-foot stone wall around his property, that's his business. It's his property and he should be able to do what he wants with it. If I were wealthy and famous, I would probably do the same thing. He wants privacy, protection... basically a barrier to keep anything undesirable from entering his private space. I get that. Now, to publicly criticize others (including the U.S. Government or candidates for presidency) for wanting to do the same thing for the same purposes, that makes you a hypocrite and an elitist.

We build walls for protection and security. It makes sense to do so as an individual property owner and on a national level. Many countries do this because arresting, deporting and shooting at potential immigrants from entering their countries illegally is generally bad policy and isn't good PR on the international level. Building walls to keep out criminals not only protects those living inside the walls, but it also protects those outside the walls, who, lacking in judgment, decide they want to risk their lives and/or the lives of their family members while they attempt to circumvent the legal process of gaining access to a country or private property.

Citizens of the U.S. and our elected/appointed officials would do well to treat our country as if it were our own private property in every respect. This country belongs to us and we should respect this land as if it were our own. We pay our taxes and many of us own private property in this country and have worked the land to make it our own. We have paid our dues. Some of us have gone beyond paying our dues in that way and have served our country in the U.S. Armed Forces and some have given their life in service of our country. It is my belief that citizens of the United States should be willing to pay their dues... to make this country a better place, not by chanting and waving signs in the street, but by working the land, volunteering, serving and upholding the laws of the land. Those who cheat by circumventing the system or who are not willing to actively make this country a better place should not be afforded the same privileges of those who do little or nothing. Patriotism is loyalty to the core, not seeking benefits for yourself without personal sacrifice.

While I was at the graduation ceremony for Air Force Basic Training for my son a couple of weeks ago, I observed how about half a dozen new recruits not only graduated from basic training, but they took the oath to become citizens of the United States as well. I felt proud for those new citizens. They did it the honorable way - legally and lawfully. They did not jump a fence, cross a river in the dark of night or cross remote desert to sneak in and subsequently demand the same privileges as bona-fide citizens. No, they earned the rights and privileges to be citizens of our country and they are part owners in this great land just as much as any other legal citizen who has pledged allegiance to this republic.

Home Ownership - Is It For Me?

I've seen memes showing a secluded cottage or chalet out in the woods or in a rural ranch setting with a comparison to skyscrapers or apartments with a caption stating something like "I'd take this life over life in the city" or something to that effect.

Well, I have to say that one is not necessarily better than the other. Just different. I think that people believe that they're going to live out in the country or the woods to "get away from it all" but don't realize what they're getting into.

First of all, home ownership is a big responsibility. You have to maintain your home and property or it will rapidly deteriorate. You've got problems with vermin, moss, overgrowth, wind damage, water damage (mold and mildew) and mud... mud gets everywhere and somebody's got to clean it up.

Then there is the problem of isolation. The farther you live away from civilization, the more stuff you have to stock up and prepare for inclement weather. You can't just run to the store every time you want some fried chicken and you'll never enjoy the luxury of pizza delivery. You have to either cook everything from scratch or have at least one large freezer to keep all your food in. Many people who live out in the hills also hunt, fish and grow their own food. That is a whole different level of self-sufficiency (work!) that city-dweller hick-wanna-bes will usually never attain. It's something you simply have to grow up with or takes years of living off the land to really come to appreciate. When the snow starts to fall and the wind blows trees down, you could be trapped in your rural paradise for days... or weeks. And you will likely be the one out there with a chainsaw or snowplow clearing the roads - otherwise, you will likely be trapped indefinitely.

This brings me to another challenge - involuntarily "living off the grid." When trees blow the power lines down or when roads wash out or when the telephone lines are down (land lines = Internet), you are basically stranded. For some people this is no big deal because they enjoy that lifestyle. If you are an avid social media follower or if you need social interaction with other people, this can drive most people crazy. Most people can go for a few days or maybe even a few weeks "off the grid" but if they have to be completely self-sufficient for months at a time, this can really be a traumatic experience. The reality of it is that you have to procure your own water (well or stream) and fuel (firewood) and if you want to enjoy some other comforts, you are going to need to have propane fuel and a backup generator. I can attest first hand how much work it is to heat water over a stove or open fire.

Now that is an extreme example, but some people who live in North America actually live like this and get by. Let me also say that home ownership, even in a developed community, isn't for everyone. I grew up in homes where my parents owned and maintained them, so I didn't know any differently. There were things we just did because we had to. It was work. There are many people who have been raised in apartments or condominiums and even rental homes where routine maintenance is taken care of by someone else. It's a difficult transition into home ownership. You have to mow the lawns, weed the flowerbeds, prune the trees, rake leaves, shovel snow off of sidewalks, water the plants (in drier areas), take care of your own trashcans and clean the debris out of the lawns. The bigger your lawn, the more work you have to do.

Then there is the home maintenance - painting, pressure washing, cleaning windows, repairing leaky pipes and dripping faucets, replacing roof shingles and siding, having the carpets cleaned and regular deep cleaning that is absolutely necessary. If you own your home, you have to keep up on everything and make sure that trash or junk doesn't get left outside to rot or get infested by critters because it's much more of a problem later when it's been neglected. Problems that are left to  the elements take much more time to fix later and it is exponentially more costly to take care of. For example, the cost of a leaky drainpipe is going to be much more than just the pipe itself. A couple of years ago, I had to essentially remodel the bathroom, costing many hundreds of dollars, because of leaky plumbing. The water damage was extensive and I had to rip out the walls and all the plumbing and start over. It's a good thing that I have learned maintenance skills. To have a contractor do this would have cost me many thousands of dollars.

You also can't ignore the overgrowth of weeds. It may not be immediately evident, but plant growth is extremely destructive to structures. The encroachment of plants on buildings leads to water damage and structural separation but also invites rats, mice, skunks and insects - which causes even more structural breakdown. In plant-rich areas like the Pacific Northwest or the Southeast, the vegetation grows so fast you can almost see it in motion.

If all that isn't enough, you also have to take into consideration that you have a mortgage for 30-40 years. You can't skip a payment or you could lose everything. It's not like an apartment where the most you have to lose is a place to live... until you can scrape up enough to afford to move into another apartment. Home ownership is a long-term commitment. There are many other costs associated with home ownership that you may not even think of (beyond the aforementioned maintenance). If something gets damaged, you have to pay for it. No maintenance worker is going to come to your rescue and replace that water heater that blows up in the middle of your shower. You either replace it yourself or pay the plumber. The clogged pipes are going to be costly to get unclogged. And the septic tank is going to need to be pumped every few years.

So, in essence, the fantasy of home ownership is shattered by the reality of responsibility. I will have to say that I absolutely love the freedom of being a home owner, but that freedom also has a price. If any of the above scares you or makes you feel uncomfortable, perhaps you may just be better off living out your life in an apartment. There's always a trade-off.