Need/Want

The future seems to hold a big challenge. Space. Not the one that's "above" us, that is endless as far as we know, but the one we live in. Used to be, long, long ago, even before The Day, that "space" in villages was  down at the local cathedral. Space was big enough for every soul in the place to go when things got risky. Raiding tribes or clans usually gave some kind of warning in the days of warring ethics and strategies and everyone would hie down to the castle for protection. Today, home size is rapidly diminishing. First of all, only the urban monied can afford a lot of useless empty footage to live amongst. Normal, modern urbanites are more sensible. The latest New York sizing-down abode, has slipped to tiny apartments running for about three thou a month for a living area of around 350 square feet. One dweller of this kind of minuscule domain, says it takes her six seconds to walk from one end of the suite to the other. It's an attractive little den with most of the walls having fold down cupboards that hold beds, tables, and other utilitarian items. The building with it's collection of practical folk, has all of the necessities for comfort, entertaining and leisure. I don't know about you, but I have been sizing-down for many years and somehow the smaller space I live in, feels quite adequate for my lifestyle now. The days of needing a whole room for laundering or sewing or guests or dining or storing books, are almost over. It's more a matter of how-much-space-does-one-need to live the life they own. The footprint factions make sense.  Most people other than those with small children, use or need very little space to live well. Most work all day somewhere else and go out for leisure activities and entertaining. Entertaining is inviting your group out to a restaurant where no one has to slave over a hot stove, and everyone including the host, has naught to do but enjoy the company collected. While it may be a credit card venture, it's one that is clean and fun even for the host. Housekeeping has lessened to a remarkable degree when firstly, there's little space for dust to collect and secondly, any grime in sight can be swiped up instantly. So, you say, what do you do on a rainy day when it's cold out. You enter the computer world or the TV world which brings everything in the way of visual delight, entertainment in venues you can't afford or get to, or information you thirst for. No one needs grandmother's silver tea service really or mom's Spode. You can always go to the museum down the street or on line to find the exact pattern to gaze at it as long as you wish. Amazingly, too, people have pets in these tiny apartments. The animals love it because they've never had a kennel so large and they get to go out walking at the waggle of a tail.