When we don’t have enough money, we often end up living in small spaces with others. We share our lives closely with these people, whether we want to or not. They see us come and go. We clean each other’s dirty dishes. At best a community or shared responsibility develops. We become a chosen family.
But often despite, in spite, or for respite of the community we think about wanting more space and thus more money.
However as money is able to buy progressively larger spaces a tipping point is crossed.
I’m at an Airbnb upstate that is clearly only used as a rental. Someone is paid to clean the space. The owner is far away and sends an anonymous message about where the code is to get into the house.
So much space and just and many people, but now all total strangers. You pay all this money to get the big space and then it’s enjoyed almost exclusively by people you’ve never met and for whom you have to keep your personal effects locked in a closet downstairs that says private.