Building a house: November 04, 1996 issue of New Thinking

November 04, 1996 New Thinking:
Building a house

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November 04, 1996

Building a house

By Gerry McGovern

Where I come from (rural Ireland), people like to build their own houses. If you were building a house 30 years ago, it would have been a time-consuming process. A young couple would be thinking about getting married and that would mean a house.

Years might go by between saving, thinking, talking and planning. Finally, you’d get down to choosing the contractors. You’d start ordering material. Back 30 years ago, if you wanted sand, you’d order it by post or telegram.

You’d cycle the five miles into Granard to send that telegram. When the reply would come back, young Tommy would cycle out to tell you. Between ordering the sand and getting it could take weeks.

It’s wonderful how things have speeded up so much. You ring for the sand today and you have it tomorrow. The house gets built in no time, so you’d better hurry up and arrange the church, the hotel, the honeymoon and maybe even the new car.

Everything comes quicker these days. And there’s so much to come. Houses are full of choices. There’s so many add-ons. So many ways to make a house more comfortable, fashionable and convenient.

Of course, the bigger mortgage comes quicker too. And the bills for getting married, and the lease for the new car. There ye are, young man and woman, starting out in life with heavy loans on top of your dreams.

It would be great to be able to laze about your new house. But you have to work harder these days. It would be great to be with your loved one more, but she kept on her nursing job, because, well, it may take two to make a home but it also takes two to make the mortgage.

There are times ye wonder what it’s all about. It’s Thursday night. Ye’re both home together for once. It’s a lovely house; a bit cold. The monthly checks arrive next Tuesday. And that’s why ye’re sitting down to a dinner of beans and toast, with the heating off.

The digital age brings with it radical change. Progress involves change, though change does not necessarily mean progress. Progress is not in and of itself good for us.

For progress to benefit the entrepreneur, it needs to be anticipated and exploited. For it to benefit the average person, some degree of consolidation must occur. The problem today is that we make progress on A, and before we can consolidate A, progress is made on B, C and D, resulting in even more progress on A.

I wonder when a period of slower change and more consolidation will occur, or whether we have entered a time of constant change. If so, our lives may become one long chase.

I must admit that I love the chase. It is intoxicating to be a part of this fundamental change, to breathe in the awesome possibilities. I wouldn’t give it up.

At times I wonder, though, whether like the cigarette that I have just drawn smoke from, is it another addiction?

As my children sleep downstairs, I wonder how much of a better father this chase will help me be?

Sometimes I wonder how long I can keep up the chase?

Gerry McGovern

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Progress involves change, though change does not necessarily mean progress.