Cocooning and Bruce Willis
Without Prejudice
Years ago I read an article about how as we moved into the new Millenium we, as humans, would start to cocoon. Tired of living on our own we would begin to share our living spaces with others. Now, for me and for others this has started to become our reality. A cocoon of warmth, love and sharing resources.
I share a block of land with others and now share my unit with another. My unit is small but easily accommodates two. I just am passionate about sharing with loved ones. I could be in a unit somewhere all by myself and feel all the good things such as independence and privacy. But I hate that sort of living. I have done it in the past and can't say I am a fan.
Sundays on your own are the pits. That's the moment when you feel like everyone else is with family. I know in this day and age with all the different family dynamics we have that's not true. Lots of people spend Sundays by themselves. But I know it is something I am not very comfortable with. I come from a large family dynamic and had a large rowdy family of girls, pets and others myself.
I just done see the sense in all this independent living.
My daughter and I agreed three years ago to have a unit built in her back yard for me. A shoebox. But I have never been as comfortable or as happy living anywhere in my life. And I should know, I have moved something like 37 times in 23 years. Never happy, never staying for long anywhere until I came here.
I changed residences, states, even, and could not settle, could not feel safe, protected, fulfilled until I came here. Private rents, owned places of mine could not satisfy me. And three years ago to the day today, I came here. It took a second for Yvette to decide she was happy for me to live behind her in my own separate dwelling. It took a week for the paperwork to be done and from then a month to move in.
Forty men arrived in big trucks and like an Amish Family Build had the unit up within a week. Tilers, carpenters, electricians, swarmed all over Yvettes huge backyard, mud and rain and cold, dark, didnt stop them. They just worked and worked and then were gone as soon as they finished. Yvette and I had already planned which way it would face. Trees behind me and not facing her house but facing the backyards of neighbours.
Three weeks it then took to get all the connections and services done.
And I cried, the day I took possession of the keys and kissed the two men who handed them to me.
They had no idea of what they were handing me. My own unit, mine for life, all my life. It belongs to me for the rest of my life. It can be moved to anywhere in Victoria for free in my lifetime and does not add to roof space conditions on blocks of land as its classified as demountable.
And was a paltry sum to be mine. No more struggling to find private rent of $320 a week. It's a quarter of my income, so $50, at first. Three years later it's about $60. And if I then get more income rises to $100 a week, where it remains pegged at that price. Even if I went back to Purchasing and earned $100,000 a year.
I have my own front garden of the side yard, never hear the family of seven living in the main house and allows me to have privacy but also interaction with Family. And in the Summer we are all out there enjoying watching the boys sliding up and down the Slip and Slide or running under the hose hooked up to the washing line.
It's built with the best of everything, new kitchen, new bathroom, which is large. All the fittings are top spec, brass locks and heavy handles. I have made it mine, decorated it beautifully as I am so grateful to have it. And every time, every single time I re enter my little cocoon, I thank God I have it.
When I went to Qld last year for the winter I let Zachary, my second oldest Grandson stay in it and he made it his. Now he's back, wanting to escape the noise of his smaller brothers in the Main House. Zach is working now, and needs his sleep on the weekends. Craves his peace and quiet and yesterday asked if he could come out to me and sleep.
So I was more delighted to have him as he's quiet and neat and knows the unit like the back of his hand. We celebrated by watching Bruce Willis in the first Die Hard as like me, Zach is a movie buff. I have doors everywhere, so the bedroom is closed off for him. I always sleep on my very comfy couch anyway. I have privacy and so does he.
So we two movie buffs watched the magnificent Bruce Willis in all his bloodied, hard bodied glory saying all our favourite lines,
"Yippee, Kai Yay, Mother Fucker" et al
I groaned at Bruce's magnificent torso, brown, ripped and cut. Zach didn't answer but did mention that his older brother took him to a brothel and he is no longer a virgin. I was delighted as he knew I would be as it had been my suggestion years ago. His mother went ape shit at me at the time but I just saw it as sensible. If you are a teenage boy better to learn from a professional how to make love properly. None of that nasty broken hearts for my teen boys. I want them to be focused on other things at 18. Work, goals, dreams, careers.
No unwanted pregnancies. Told him I was proud of him. And asked if it was good, very good, he replied. Being his Nana said did he wear condom, and he said of course, no kissing but he suddenly looked all grown up and happy. Thank God that's over, I thought. Out of the way, I want the boys practiced in the important arts. Virginity is over rated.
So we sat Grandma and Grandson in perfect harmony, he happy for the peace and quiet and me happy for the company. I realised I would not have this joyful existence if I was not prepared to share. The man next door lives in a huge house all by himself and peeps over the fence at me to see what I am doing. The girl over the road was evicted last week for not paying her astronomical rent. Even though she had a bloke living with her.
I didn't see it but the Police came and within an hour and a half all their stuff was in the front lawn. How humiliating. I knew her, she was a nice young thing. Had a son of 15 living with her and the Dude. They were both out of work and bang, eviction. Awful, hope she's ok. Maybe she will be cocooning next time, hope so, seems to be the way to go.
Love Janette
Years ago I read an article about how as we moved into the new Millenium we, as humans, would start to cocoon. Tired of living on our own we would begin to share our living spaces with others. Now, for me and for others this has started to become our reality. A cocoon of warmth, love and sharing resources.
I share a block of land with others and now share my unit with another. My unit is small but easily accommodates two. I just am passionate about sharing with loved ones. I could be in a unit somewhere all by myself and feel all the good things such as independence and privacy. But I hate that sort of living. I have done it in the past and can't say I am a fan.
Sundays on your own are the pits. That's the moment when you feel like everyone else is with family. I know in this day and age with all the different family dynamics we have that's not true. Lots of people spend Sundays by themselves. But I know it is something I am not very comfortable with. I come from a large family dynamic and had a large rowdy family of girls, pets and others myself.
I just done see the sense in all this independent living.
My daughter and I agreed three years ago to have a unit built in her back yard for me. A shoebox. But I have never been as comfortable or as happy living anywhere in my life. And I should know, I have moved something like 37 times in 23 years. Never happy, never staying for long anywhere until I came here.
I changed residences, states, even, and could not settle, could not feel safe, protected, fulfilled until I came here. Private rents, owned places of mine could not satisfy me. And three years ago to the day today, I came here. It took a second for Yvette to decide she was happy for me to live behind her in my own separate dwelling. It took a week for the paperwork to be done and from then a month to move in.
Forty men arrived in big trucks and like an Amish Family Build had the unit up within a week. Tilers, carpenters, electricians, swarmed all over Yvettes huge backyard, mud and rain and cold, dark, didnt stop them. They just worked and worked and then were gone as soon as they finished. Yvette and I had already planned which way it would face. Trees behind me and not facing her house but facing the backyards of neighbours.
Three weeks it then took to get all the connections and services done.
And I cried, the day I took possession of the keys and kissed the two men who handed them to me.
They had no idea of what they were handing me. My own unit, mine for life, all my life. It belongs to me for the rest of my life. It can be moved to anywhere in Victoria for free in my lifetime and does not add to roof space conditions on blocks of land as its classified as demountable.
And was a paltry sum to be mine. No more struggling to find private rent of $320 a week. It's a quarter of my income, so $50, at first. Three years later it's about $60. And if I then get more income rises to $100 a week, where it remains pegged at that price. Even if I went back to Purchasing and earned $100,000 a year.
I have my own front garden of the side yard, never hear the family of seven living in the main house and allows me to have privacy but also interaction with Family. And in the Summer we are all out there enjoying watching the boys sliding up and down the Slip and Slide or running under the hose hooked up to the washing line.
It's built with the best of everything, new kitchen, new bathroom, which is large. All the fittings are top spec, brass locks and heavy handles. I have made it mine, decorated it beautifully as I am so grateful to have it. And every time, every single time I re enter my little cocoon, I thank God I have it.
When I went to Qld last year for the winter I let Zachary, my second oldest Grandson stay in it and he made it his. Now he's back, wanting to escape the noise of his smaller brothers in the Main House. Zach is working now, and needs his sleep on the weekends. Craves his peace and quiet and yesterday asked if he could come out to me and sleep.
So I was more delighted to have him as he's quiet and neat and knows the unit like the back of his hand. We celebrated by watching Bruce Willis in the first Die Hard as like me, Zach is a movie buff. I have doors everywhere, so the bedroom is closed off for him. I always sleep on my very comfy couch anyway. I have privacy and so does he.
So we two movie buffs watched the magnificent Bruce Willis in all his bloodied, hard bodied glory saying all our favourite lines,
"Yippee, Kai Yay, Mother Fucker" et al
I groaned at Bruce's magnificent torso, brown, ripped and cut. Zach didn't answer but did mention that his older brother took him to a brothel and he is no longer a virgin. I was delighted as he knew I would be as it had been my suggestion years ago. His mother went ape shit at me at the time but I just saw it as sensible. If you are a teenage boy better to learn from a professional how to make love properly. None of that nasty broken hearts for my teen boys. I want them to be focused on other things at 18. Work, goals, dreams, careers.
No unwanted pregnancies. Told him I was proud of him. And asked if it was good, very good, he replied. Being his Nana said did he wear condom, and he said of course, no kissing but he suddenly looked all grown up and happy. Thank God that's over, I thought. Out of the way, I want the boys practiced in the important arts. Virginity is over rated.
So we sat Grandma and Grandson in perfect harmony, he happy for the peace and quiet and me happy for the company. I realised I would not have this joyful existence if I was not prepared to share. The man next door lives in a huge house all by himself and peeps over the fence at me to see what I am doing. The girl over the road was evicted last week for not paying her astronomical rent. Even though she had a bloke living with her.
I didn't see it but the Police came and within an hour and a half all their stuff was in the front lawn. How humiliating. I knew her, she was a nice young thing. Had a son of 15 living with her and the Dude. They were both out of work and bang, eviction. Awful, hope she's ok. Maybe she will be cocooning next time, hope so, seems to be the way to go.
Love Janette
