Owning a Piece of the Whole Darned Thing

I took a few minutes by the side of the pool this afternoon to read, and it was lovely. Then came a time when I felt like I wanted to write a blog post.  I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths.  What should I write?  "Look around" was my guidance. 

As I opened my eyes, I found myself gazing at the balcony guard on an apartment of an adjacent tower.  Mine is one of four almost identical towers, which were built in the 1960s. Originally, they were all rentals.  One remains such. Over the years, one was sold off into condominiums (condos,) meaning that each person owns their apartment and pays for use of common spaces.  The one I occupy is a cooperative (coop,) meaning that each of us owns a piece of the whole building.

Two years ago when I was shopping for a place to buy, I noticed that coops seemed to be better managed, which meant that maintenance was planned and budgeted for so that the collective investment was cared for and fees were pretty stable from year to year.  Being able to plan my budget was important to me, so I focused on finding an apartment in a coop building.  Since I've been here, I've noticed that when we all have a vested interest in the condition of the whole building, it seems to be better taken care of, too.

This afternoon when I looked at the condo balcony, it looked pretty shabby, even though it was the same age as the other towers.  The rental was slightly better looking, but not much.  However, the building where we all owned a piece of the whole darned thing definitely looked the most cared for.

I am not writing a real estate column, but what I was observing on our balconies seemed to be a good metaphor for the world.  When we think about our responsibilities as only to those things we "own," that is where our energy and attention are focused.  Is my house cared for? Do I have safe roads and bridges? Is my retirement planned for? Are my children getting a good education? Do I have healthcare? Is my neighborhood safe?

But when we feel ownership of all of our communities, schools, churches, and the world, then we begin caring and planning for the whole darned thing. Even though I have no children, I am concerned about the quality of education that young people in my community and across my country receive.  Even though I take the Metro most places, I am concerned about the number of sub-par bridges and highways that might tumble at any time.  I know that it is not just my retirement that I should be concerned about, but a whole generation of Americans who are living longer than anyone expected and a Social Security system that will run out of money when most of us are in our late 80s or early 90s, even though 25% of the Boomers are expected to live to 100. 

Owning a piece of the whole darned thing isn't just true on a national level, but globally as well.  We should all be concerned that we have clean air and water and about the impacts of climate change, because if we don't, we all suffer, like that shabby balcony that hangs over the pool that all of us use. Unleashing a whole generation of young people in the Middle East who are well educated but can't find jobs, is destined to unleash forces of discontent which will impact all of us.  Yet, many Americans seem to notice little and care less that we are all on this planet Earth together, and, for good or ill, and whether or not we act like that we own a piece of the whole darned thing, we do.

We are all connected.  We cannot stick our heads in the sand and pretend that if we are comfortable in our nice house, educating our children well, and tending our own healthcare and retirements that all will be well. Like it or not we are in this thing together. If all of us don't do well, none of us will in the long run.