A wonderful, fantastic, and deeply empathetic piece of writing. I like it very much, and I especially appreciate the empathy you’ve brought to it.
Yes, a house is a stage for our lives. A framework. We furnish it. We maintain it. We fight a ceaseless battle—day in, day out, hour by hour—to keep nature from reclaiming it.
Our boundaries—the place we have created—are merely artificial. A fleeting moment. Transitory.
Yet the stage is not just a place where the actor performs their story; the stage itself becomes a story about the actor.
It bears witness to their life’s work, even long after the actor has departed.
Until that place returns to nature—merging back into the flow of life—leaving behind only the stories held in our hearts and the hearts of those who come after us. Just as Jeff lives on in your heart as a memory, even though you never met—and never will meet—in the flesh.
Empathy is magic. It allows us to transcend time and space. It lets us feel and come to know people we have never met in reality, and never will. Yet, they are there.
But regarding Jeff and his wife:
Jeff was a very successful man. Truly successful.
Not because he owned a large house. Not because he was wealthy.
But because each of his children was free to choose and live their own life.
The house and the wealth never became a prison.
*That* is the true success of Jeff and his wife. (She certainly played an equal part in that success.)
*That* is the true success of people who lead a genuinely successful life:
Living one’s own life while granting others the freedom to live and flourish in their own way.
This text reminds me of a small house on an island off the coast where I live.
A house that tells the life story of a person—a story so incredible that their descendants didn't believe it until it was historically proven.
Old houses and ruins can hold pure magic. They preserve the most incredible life stories, much like books. Empathy, curiosity, and the work of research allow them to speak—to tell us about truly remarkable people—and bring them back to life for us.
A wonderful, sensitive account with beautiful photos. This text moved me deeply; thank you very much for it.
I 1000% agree with you that Amy played an equal amount in the success, and thank you for seeing that. Unfortunately, I was not able to find any newspaper articles about her, only about her husband.
I do know that she was a very skilled seamstress who had a whole room dedicated to her craft, and the whole house was full of her ribbons, bolts of cloth, and the various things she had made.
She also successfully raised 7 children, and as far as I can tell, they are all still here. I chose not to look too deeply into the children’s lives, other than seeing that there ended up being a fair amount of grandchildren, as I was worried that if I looked too deeply at the second generation, I might find an unpleasant reason why the house ended up the way it has.
I like the level I know now, which is a successful life, working on the lunar landing, many children and a mansion in the country.
You are correct that it does not appear that Jeff pressured the children to live a specific way of life, and more seems to have set it up so that they could live life how they personally desired. Maybe in the end it was simply that the house was too remote, too deep in the country, and they all wanted to live closer in the city, where there are more opportunities for work.
I can not stress how deep in the country this place was. It could have been as simple as there were no buyers that could afford a 17 room mansion that wanted to live that remotely, and as they waited for a sale, the place fell apart too much, until a sale was no longer possible. I will never have all the answers to this particular puzzle.
Oh my God. Seven children! I know what seven children means because—in addition to the joy of being the partner of my wonderful women—I have the extraordinary good fortune of living with seven wonderful children.
It is sheer madness. It is life in its purest form. Just imagine the experience every morning: ushering seven excited children—hungry for the adventure of life—through the shower.
A trip into a lion's den is nothing compared to that.
Yes, you are absolutely right about protecting the integrity of Jeff and Ami’s children. Besides, the children's stories are no longer the stories of this house, but the stories of the homes and houses the children have built for themselves.
Amy and Jeff were successful people. They lived their own lives and gave their children the freedom to live theirs.
I hope to be just as wise and successful as those two people.
Why is this magnificent villa falling into disrepair? There could be many reasons. A remote location. Different life paths (joint inheritance situations are hell in 90% of cases), or the need to generate income to cover very high taxes (especially in the USA).
I always look for the positive aspect of a situation (without suppressing the negative side).
High taxes mean: You have to make a choice. Do you really want to live for the sake of a building and so on? Or do you want to create something of your own—namely, your own life?
It’s a kick in the butt. And let’s be honest:
EVERYONE needs a good kick in the butt from life now and then. I’ve certainly had my fair share of them.
It’s unpleasant at first, but looking back, I’m grateful for every kick in the butt life has given me.
Schumpeter was absolutely right. ;-)
I wish you a wonderful start to a successful week, great earnings, and many, many fulfilling and happy experiences.
I am also an explorer of ruins and the ONLY way to visit these places is with reverence for the living done in them. It is also a religious experience for me, or as near to one as I ever have. Thank you.
This is what happens when Angels Arrive to Visit. Such a delicate and gentle touch you possess with both mind and hands. Grace, Passion and Compassion. This is a Trifecta! :) Indeed, you are an infinite source of impression and inspiration. We are fortunate to have a Guardian Rain Angel in our midst. Prescence.
I wasn't expecting to find this place, so I did not have my usual shoot supplies on me, alas, but I did have the angel wings, so I was able to get a few shots at least. I can't stop thinking about this place, and am definitely planning on returning with more supplies to do a proper shoot.
WHEN I can find the time is a whole nother question. lol. There is always so much to do!
:) It’s always good for an Angel to have a set of spare wings. One never knows when they may come in handy. Ah. Time. A whole other concept to contend with.
Time is relentless and gets us all in the end. It is also the only game in town, so we have to wrangle the best we can. I want to do as much as I possibly can with the time I have been given.
A wonderful, fantastic, and deeply empathetic piece of writing. I like it very much, and I especially appreciate the empathy you’ve brought to it.
Yes, a house is a stage for our lives. A framework. We furnish it. We maintain it. We fight a ceaseless battle—day in, day out, hour by hour—to keep nature from reclaiming it.
Our boundaries—the place we have created—are merely artificial. A fleeting moment. Transitory.
Yet the stage is not just a place where the actor performs their story; the stage itself becomes a story about the actor.
It bears witness to their life’s work, even long after the actor has departed.
Until that place returns to nature—merging back into the flow of life—leaving behind only the stories held in our hearts and the hearts of those who come after us. Just as Jeff lives on in your heart as a memory, even though you never met—and never will meet—in the flesh.
Empathy is magic. It allows us to transcend time and space. It lets us feel and come to know people we have never met in reality, and never will. Yet, they are there.
But regarding Jeff and his wife:
Jeff was a very successful man. Truly successful.
Not because he owned a large house. Not because he was wealthy.
But because each of his children was free to choose and live their own life.
The house and the wealth never became a prison.
*That* is the true success of Jeff and his wife. (She certainly played an equal part in that success.)
*That* is the true success of people who lead a genuinely successful life:
Living one’s own life while granting others the freedom to live and flourish in their own way.
This text reminds me of a small house on an island off the coast where I live.
A house that tells the life story of a person—a story so incredible that their descendants didn't believe it until it was historically proven.
Old houses and ruins can hold pure magic. They preserve the most incredible life stories, much like books. Empathy, curiosity, and the work of research allow them to speak—to tell us about truly remarkable people—and bring them back to life for us.
A wonderful, sensitive account with beautiful photos. This text moved me deeply; thank you very much for it.
I 1000% agree with you that Amy played an equal amount in the success, and thank you for seeing that. Unfortunately, I was not able to find any newspaper articles about her, only about her husband.
I do know that she was a very skilled seamstress who had a whole room dedicated to her craft, and the whole house was full of her ribbons, bolts of cloth, and the various things she had made.
She also successfully raised 7 children, and as far as I can tell, they are all still here. I chose not to look too deeply into the children’s lives, other than seeing that there ended up being a fair amount of grandchildren, as I was worried that if I looked too deeply at the second generation, I might find an unpleasant reason why the house ended up the way it has.
I like the level I know now, which is a successful life, working on the lunar landing, many children and a mansion in the country.
You are correct that it does not appear that Jeff pressured the children to live a specific way of life, and more seems to have set it up so that they could live life how they personally desired. Maybe in the end it was simply that the house was too remote, too deep in the country, and they all wanted to live closer in the city, where there are more opportunities for work.
I can not stress how deep in the country this place was. It could have been as simple as there were no buyers that could afford a 17 room mansion that wanted to live that remotely, and as they waited for a sale, the place fell apart too much, until a sale was no longer possible. I will never have all the answers to this particular puzzle.
Oh my God. Seven children! I know what seven children means because—in addition to the joy of being the partner of my wonderful women—I have the extraordinary good fortune of living with seven wonderful children.
It is sheer madness. It is life in its purest form. Just imagine the experience every morning: ushering seven excited children—hungry for the adventure of life—through the shower.
A trip into a lion's den is nothing compared to that.
Yes, you are absolutely right about protecting the integrity of Jeff and Ami’s children. Besides, the children's stories are no longer the stories of this house, but the stories of the homes and houses the children have built for themselves.
Amy and Jeff were successful people. They lived their own lives and gave their children the freedom to live theirs.
I hope to be just as wise and successful as those two people.
Why is this magnificent villa falling into disrepair? There could be many reasons. A remote location. Different life paths (joint inheritance situations are hell in 90% of cases), or the need to generate income to cover very high taxes (especially in the USA).
I always look for the positive aspect of a situation (without suppressing the negative side).
High taxes mean: You have to make a choice. Do you really want to live for the sake of a building and so on? Or do you want to create something of your own—namely, your own life?
It’s a kick in the butt. And let’s be honest:
EVERYONE needs a good kick in the butt from life now and then. I’ve certainly had my fair share of them.
It’s unpleasant at first, but looking back, I’m grateful for every kick in the butt life has given me.
Schumpeter was absolutely right. ;-)
I wish you a wonderful start to a successful week, great earnings, and many, many fulfilling and happy experiences.
I often think about your household and just how busy and high energy it must be. lol
I am also an explorer of ruins and the ONLY way to visit these places is with reverence for the living done in them. It is also a religious experience for me, or as near to one as I ever have. Thank you.
You get it :D
This is what happens when Angels Arrive to Visit. Such a delicate and gentle touch you possess with both mind and hands. Grace, Passion and Compassion. This is a Trifecta! :) Indeed, you are an infinite source of impression and inspiration. We are fortunate to have a Guardian Rain Angel in our midst. Prescence.
I wasn't expecting to find this place, so I did not have my usual shoot supplies on me, alas, but I did have the angel wings, so I was able to get a few shots at least. I can't stop thinking about this place, and am definitely planning on returning with more supplies to do a proper shoot.
WHEN I can find the time is a whole nother question. lol. There is always so much to do!
:) It’s always good for an Angel to have a set of spare wings. One never knows when they may come in handy. Ah. Time. A whole other concept to contend with.
Time is relentless and gets us all in the end. It is also the only game in town, so we have to wrangle the best we can. I want to do as much as I possibly can with the time I have been given.
:) Spending Time with You is Time Well Spent!
There is something profoundly sad about an abandoned mansion once full of life.
Glad to see you have your boots on though. They can be extremely dangerous.
So far my success rate of not falling through rotten floors is 100%, which I hope to continue :)
The floors in these places are filthy, so I do my best not to have bare feet on the floors. Some of them have been abandoned for 30 years or longer.