Readers write: Enjoying home, recycling programs, and resilience in Flint
Enjoying home
I鈥檝e read Robert Klose鈥檚 2005 Home Forum essay 鈥淟ife in a crooked house: Who needs straight lines?鈥� at least 20 times since finding it on CSMonitor.com. I swear I鈥檓 less anxious.聽
I was on the brink of buyer鈥檚 remorse, having bought a 120-year-old house in August. It seemed stable at first, but as a live load became a presence in the house, everything became crooked. I sleep crooked, watch TV crooked, and that rolling chair I once used to sit at my desk 鈥� forget it; it鈥檚 in the basement.聽
You perfectly described me in your second paragraph when you wrote 鈥淟ike a new father listening for his sleeping child鈥檚 exhalations, I sat up whenever I heard something out of the ordinary.鈥� I woke every morning thinking about the house before my eyes even opened. I would sit up and make sure the house was still standing. Visitors would tell me I was overreacting, that it wasn鈥檛 so bad. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 understand,鈥� I would say. 鈥淪leep over for a night.鈥� I felt like no one understood, and then I found your article.聽
Reading it, I laughed ... I cried ... I laughed. For the first time since living here, when I step on a floorboard and it creaks, I don鈥檛 stop and fixate on it; I just keep going. I no longer wake up in a panic. I鈥檓 actually starting to enjoy the house for the first time.聽
I鈥檓 scared to ask if you are still living in your crooked house. I suppose I should just thank you, Mr. Klose. You are an amazing writer and hilarious. You鈥檝e given me a gift that I so desperately needed.
Rachael Anderson
Haddam, Conn.
Recycling programs
The Jan. 28 Science article 鈥淐an you recycle responsibility?鈥� was great. It鈥檚 timely and helpful. It makes me grateful for the program here in St. Louis Park, Minn., which is single-sort recycling and has organic commercial composting as well as collection for home items. Are recycling efforts at risk in the United States?
Bill Ward
St. Louis Park, Minn.
Resilience in Flint
The Jan. 28 article 鈥淚n Flint, a future built on schools as well as safe water,鈥� a story of progress and resilience, is inspiring. I volunteered in a summer education program (Heart in the City) in Flint, Mich., almost 50 years ago, and I am thankful that 海角大神 is keeping me informed about the good things happening there currently.
Paul O鈥橠onnell
Providence, R.I.
