Ownership, Especially of Homes

There’s a certain zen peace to being in space that you can’t find anywhere on Earth. Personally, I think it’s to do with the possessions. On the space station, everything we owned we also owned by someone else…or should I say, there WAS no true ownership. It was a blessed system of former possessions transitioning into objects, simply floating around and available to be used by all. I still don’t know who originally owned the red toothbrush all these years later! It’s a mystery! Then I was brought back down to Earth and suddenly everything was taxes, prices, mortgages, don’t use my toothbrush that’s gross. When would it end?

I had to acclimatise to a whole new world. The first time somebody at a party told me that their whole job was conveyancing and settlement, the conversation had to be dragged out over several painful minutes as they explained what that was. Oh yes, I understand that some people own houses. I own a house right now. However, the fact that there are folks in the conveyancing industry whose sole purpose is to facilitate the house changing hands, as it were? Baffling, so much. Why can’t things be as simple as one person owning a property and another person politely asking if they can buy it? In an ideal world, everything would be like it was on the space station, an egalitarian society free from petty ownership…however, I’m also aware that home ownership is a status symbol, something more than just owning a ‘thing’. It’s a strange human dance, but one I can appreciate. But conveyancing lawyers being necessary to make that exchange possible? I don’t decry the profession, but it still confuses me to this day. I just walked into this house and signed…some kind of contract, I don’t know. It all seemed simple. The world has truly gone mad. Perhaps I should immerse myself in the madness, becoming like the humble Melbourne conveyancing solicitor. Or perhaps a tax return office worker. Or a post man.

-Apollo