Today, I’m thankful for my own special, sacred spot on this planet.
Mark Twain once quipped: “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.”
With this in mind, many of us sacrifice long hours every day to secure a sufficient income to mortgage our own small piece of paradise. Whether that might be a quaint home with a white picket fence in sprawling suburbia or the tenth floor studio of a high-rise in a bustling metropolis, the goal is ultimately the same: A patch of acreage on this planet that we can call our own. I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of ‘owning real estate.’ In this world, an entire industry is built on the notion that we all are seeking some small speck of solitude, whether it’s an apartment, a townhouse, a condominium, a detached single home, or even a multi-family house. Irrespective of the total square feet, the number of bedrooms or bathrooms, the interior design, or the size of the outdoor space, we all just want a tiny place we can call our own.
Should it then come as a surprise that an entire network has emerged on television dedicated to our love of property? The Home and Garden Network, also known simply as HGTV, is basically predicated on the notion that folks are constantly envious of the property others possess. After a long day, I will routinely find myself surfing the countless channels on my cable, only to find myself gravitating to HGTV shows such as House Hunters, Love It or List It, Fixer Upper, or Flip or Flop.
But, I’m not alone in this endeavor.
Let me share a fascinating story that provides proof that we are all secretly fixated with the idea of garnering more real estate. Tarek el Moussa is one of the stars of Flip or Flop, a reality real-estate show wherein he, along with his now ex-wife Christina, would flip homes in California in an effort to turn a profit. Well, Ryan Reade, a registered nurse and avid follower of Flip or Flop, noticed that Tarek had a slight protrusion from his neck on the more recent episodes of the show (as compared to older ones), and, particularly when the camera caught him at certain angles. So, she emailed her medical concern to Tarek that the mass appeared to be a thyroid nodule and he should have it checked out by a physician. Well, Tarek immediately scheduled a doctor’s appointment, and subsequent tests revealed he suffered from thyroid cancer. After medical intervention, Tarek has now been in cancer remission for 6 years – all because Ryan Reade loved real estate.
In fact, I think it’s fair to say that humans, as a species, are enamored by the prospect of owning even more real estate. Since the beginning of time, emperors and explorers, from Alexander the Great to Genghis Kahn, have sought to extend their reach of property. Let me just showcase this single day in history to prove my point. On this day (Nov 14) in 1524, the great Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro endeavored on his first expedition in South America ending up in modern-day Colombia. Colombia was simply not enough and, in due time, he’d endeavor southward to conquer Peru.
On this same day in 1883, the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson would introduce us to a different type of expedition wherein pirates with intricate maps would travel to far-away regions to uncover hidden lands where treasures of gold, jewels, and other valued possessions were hidden. His novel Treasure Island still captivates readers, both young and old, worldwide.
And, if securing land on this planet were not enough, Americans would press forward to lay claim to some acreage on the moon. After the successful endeavor of the Apollo Eleven mission in the summer of 1969, the United States has fittingly laid claim to a celestial body. Nevertheless, on this day later that same year, the Apollo Twelve crew would successfully return to the moon to ensure the property remained intact.
Indeed, humans are enamored with the acquisition of real estate. Maybe it’s just the peace of mind and security one secures by owning just a small slab of this planet. Or maybe it’s just that deep down in our heart of hearts we are all Spanish conquistadors or pirating buccaneers in search of someone else’s treasure. Or maybe it’s because of what Mark Twain taught us so many years ago: we seek land because, well, they’re not making it anymore.
Technically, Mark Twain is incorrect in his assessment. The natural shifts of the tectonic plates under the Earth’s surface can lead to the development of new land. Moreover, explosive ruptures in the Earth’s crust deep in the ocean floors spew hot lava that will one day cool to form new islands that protrude from these bodies of water. As proof to this last point, I direct your attention to Surtsey, a small volcanic island off the coast of Iceland. On this exact day in 1963, several fishermen were lying out their lines near the southern most point of Iceland when they noticed a volcanic eruption occurring in the sea off the southern most tip of an Icelandic archipelago. For the next 3.5 years, hot-molten lava would spill out of an underwater volcano to create an entirely new island about 1 full square mile in area and at an elevation slightly more than 500 feet above sea level. After the eruption ceased and the land cooled, this new land – known officially as Surts Island – began to sprout vegetation. In short order, different species of birds would flock to the land to create their nests. If you had some idea of hopping on a plane to the Nordic island nation to purchase a small tract of land on Surtsey, you’ll be sorely disappointed to find that the land is not for sale. Instead, Surtsey remains a fascinating scientific experiment in the establishment and immigration of life to a novel landscape. The only human structures on the island are a small helicopter pad and a cabin where scientists continue this fascinating ecological research.
Knowing this, I guess I’ll just be thankful for what I can truly call my own. I share my heartfelt gratitude for the small acreage of land I possess and the lovely home that rests upon it. But, please don’t be mistaken. I’ll still endure endless episodes of Property Brothers on HGTV, always dreaming of what might one day become reality.
Yorumlar