LIFE IS GOOD - WHEN YOU'RE IN CHARGE

It rests with heaven to decide who shall be chief among us, but you shall be master in your own house and over your own possessions. ---Homer,The Odyssey

I remember how excited I was to leave my parent’s home – wasn’t that the reason why I got married in the first place? A teenager doesn't want to live with their parents forever, you know...

Eight years of grammar school PLUS kindergarten and FOUR years of High School, AND living my whole life under my parents roof taught me everything I needed to you, you know...  

What's the big deal and how hard could it be to be on my own, living as a Tenant! Okay, so I wasn't alone, I was a married lady... you know!

Our first apartment was a little bigger than my bedroom back home, but geeze... at least I didn't have to share the bed with my kid sister anymore, or the bathroom with all my siblings and my parents (in addition to my grandparents who wondered over from time to time). Having a bathroom to share with just my husband in that tiny little apartment, couldn't be all that bad - could it?

Life is good when you're in charge and you finally break away from living with your parents. So what's the big deal? First, you have to make sure you have a security deposit for the first and last month's rent, have good credit, not be in any trouble with the law, and you have to make a good impression. Security Deposit - It helps to have a piggy bank that's full! First month's rent - No problem! I've been saving up for an apartment for the last three months, I thought to myself. Good credit - Well, if you don't have any credit it has to be good - right? I wasn't in trouble with the law, so I have to be approved, is what I thought.

Never underestimate the power of a Teenager - when they make their minds up to do something - they can do anything! Well, I did get my first apartment and that was like Heaven! Having your own apartment means this:

• Following somebody else's rules - not your parent's (yippie)
• If you're lucky, you get your own parking space
• If you're really, really lucky, you get a garage space - but it will cost you more.
• You can't hang pictures, shelves, or anything else you want on the walls - unless the Landlord approves.
• You can't paint - unless the Landlord approves and then the Landlord has to approve what color you choose.
• If you're really, really lucky enough, you get to paint the walls by yourself!
• You get to give away half your stuff to charity or your friends - because you probably don't have enough room for your stuff.
• You can choose to listen to any music you want - but you can't blast the music or play music when other people are trying to sleep.
• You get to have the responsibility of paying your rent on time - otherwise the Landlord charges you extra money and if you bounce a check ..... well, we won't go there, but if you do go there, it's going to show up on your permanent Landlord referral report to your next landlord or mortgage company.
• You get to spend the rest of your life dreaming about owning your own home and moving out, far away from your Landlord.

If you're lucky enough to survive the marriage, pay your bills and rent on time, develop coping skills for living in close proximity and sharing a teeny, tiny place with the person you love, then you will discover Homer was right:

It rests with heaven to decide who shall be chief among us, but you shall be master in your own house and over your own possessions. ---Homer,The Odyssey

True Story by Patricia Feager, Keller Williams Realty