I admit it; I don’t know
what the hell is wrong with people.
I’m out taking a long walk
late this afternoon, and it’s sweltering hot outside still, even at 5:30. I walk through the part of town that is
populated by large old homes, most of which have been remodeled and updated to
attract newcomers who don’t love old houses with creaky floors like some of us
do.
Several of these homes are
on the market either for sale or for lease, so I’ve perused the insides via
realtor websites. The kitchens are so
over the top that I could never cook in them – too many bells and whistles, and
way too many unnecessary doo-dads on the miles and miles of cabinets. Crown molding is everywhere, as is
wainscoting, both of which, I hate to inform people, are bitches to dust and
polish.
These homes are for sale
in the millions and for rent for mere $7000-$10,000 per month. That’s not what gets my goat, though. What gets my goat is that these
multi-bazillion dollar homes never, ever have their windows open. Not ever.
Granted, today it’s
massively muggy, so the central air is probably on, or so I surmise, until I
look closer. None of these homes has
screens on its windows. This means the
people inside never get fresh air or cross-breezes. They never air out the germs that latently
attach themselves to furniture and drapes and rugs. The stink of their own lives never leaves
their bodies or noses.
How can anyone live
without opening their windows ever?
And it’s not just one
house or two houses. I’ve noticed this
on several old houses all around town.
As this realization begins irking me, I notice a couple of brand new
houses along my route also lack screens.
It’s so unfathomable to me that I actually stop my walk and stare for
far too long, absolutely disbelieving what my eyes are seeing.
Imagine raising children
in homes where fresh air never graces the rooms and where the same stagnant air
recycles between breathing entities, including pets and any varmint living within
the walls.
One of the houses for sale
is having an open house soon. I am
tempted to walk in and ask the realtor how much the house is. When she tells me the inflated dollar amount,
I’ll roll my head back and shriek with laughter. “For a house with no screens? Surely, you’re JOKING! Honestly, madam, what the hell is WRONG with
people?”
