There are so many different things that life has to offer in our society. Education that can last 13 (+) years, working to earn money (40-60 years). Household maintenance is also one component of life which consumes a major part of our lives. To some extent we all want a clean bathroom, clean sheets and need to rearrange furniture or the other items we buy for our home. What happens when a chronic or acute disability decreases the ability to complete these tasks? Are these tasks causing stress or taking away from an individual's family life or work productivity? How does maintaining a household independently improve someone's self esteem?
There are varying levels of this complex ADL (which is true for any area OTs look at). Young adults are living with their parents longer or renting houses/apartments long after college with roommates for various different reasons. However, at some point many individuals in our society hope to own a home. Beyond cleaning and keeping a sanitary living space comes home repairs and maintenance of the physical structure. A certain amount of planning, organization as well as physical output is required to complete these types of tasks.
I have a sense of pride in owning my own home. I am happy I am able to make my own decisions and choices regarding my house. My house represents a major level of comfort, security, success (I worked and waited for this home) and independence. My scent mark is all over this place - it's mine! I also realize I could have chosen an easier path.....remained a renter or paid the same amount for a condo overlooking a parking lot. Truthfully, for a single woman with a physical disability it would have been okay to shack up in my parents basement. Which makes my pride and passion towards my home that much stronger. I chose the harder path and the work that goes along with it. I have learned about a lot of little mundane things that I never thought I'd care about like planting a lawn, staining a deck and purchasing a water softener. Not to mention my personality and attention to detail doesn't quite add up to my physical capabilities when it comes to cleaning and sprucing things up. There are many other things I have learned about home ownership but these are the most bizarre. Having a home has taught me when you make a commitment there are a million little things that go wrong on a daily basis and everything seems like a series of small tasks which is viewed as hard work. But in the end it's important to look back and reflect on the bigger picture. The bigger picture gives us the positive components of a situation.
What does it mean to own a home to you? What if someone told you owning a home wasn't a good idea because of who you were?
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