Fences

Post originally scheduled for November 23

---

Whenever I think of fences, I think of this relational psychology test. I've never been a fan of fences. They seem restrictive and unwelcoming. Certainly there are some very nice fence designs, but I think I'm drawn to those you can see through, like wrought iron. Maybe you can't move the bars, but you can see what's on the other side. I'm sure there's something deeply psychological about what I just said and whatever else I could say about fence design. I don't like chain link fences. They look cheap, flimsy, and awful. I lived inside a gated community when I left my parents' house for the last time and it was much more of a hassle than it was protective. Cars would bulk up at the entrance and scoot through in a clot when someone used their pass to trigger the sensor. There was nothing but waiting when you were in a hurry to get home or leave, which I pretty much always was. I didn't feel any safer there than I did living in 'open' complexes. If bad guys want to get in, they're going to find a way.

The fence around my parents' backyard looked nice when it was first installed, but the wood weathered to that flat, dirty grey years and years ago. If I ever own their house, I'm changing out the fence. Because the neighborhood is on the edge of sketchy, I'd prefer it be another fence you can't see through. But I also say that because I want to put in a pool where I can go skinny dipping.

Given that there's a Catholic church next door, I'll probably invest in a roof too.