I don’t usually write about recent events because my writing teachers at Ohio State told us not to include details that could date our prose. We were instructed to write stories that future generations could relate to. (I’m glad Jane Austen and Charles Dickens didn’t go to Ohio State.)
Despite my professors’ warning, this current event cannot be ignored: A woman moved into a Racine, Wisconsin, Marriott (for future readers: that’s a mid-price hotel that can be counted on for cleanliness and service) for nine years and moved out before she was evicted for her $28,000 bill. http://gma.yahoo.com/wisconsin-woman-kicked-hotel-9-years-210721001–abc-news-travel.html?vp=1
That is a little more than $3,100 per year. I hope somebody rich steps up to help her. But, more than that, I hope they have a vacancy. I’m packing up my things right now. You cannot live for that price anywhere else, even if you add in the cost of a rented refrigerator. That is less than my family pays for our mortgage payment and heating bill per month. And we certainly don’t get free cable, maid service, and ice.
When I was little, I said that I wanted to live in a hotel. Everyone laughed, as they cleaned their homes, filled their ice-cube trays, paid their mortgages, and stayed home because they couldn’t afford to get off their couches. Little did they know that the day would come when they could live almost for free and have endless disposable income, and lots of time to spend it.
Forget the good old days. Embrace the great new days and make a reservation at that Marriott in Wisconsin … for the rest of your life. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mkerw-racine-marriott
You will have to wear a cheese head once in a while and become a Green Bay Packers fan—but that’s a small price to pay, for a small price to pay to live.
Patsy Porco's Blog: Free and Worth It! 