Are ‘irritation’ and ‘home’ oxymorons? Home is one’s abode, a realm of which one is the sole and supreme master, a monarch of all one surveys. It’s a place associated with peace and poise, rest and repose, joy and jest. Where is the place for irritation in home? Home is a refuse from the worldly worries, troubles and tribulations, a safe house that shields from miseries and meanness of mundane life. So why should any thing irritate one in his home.
Unless home is defined as any house that is one’s dwelling. It is a physical entity, a structure of brick, mortar and wood. It does not entertain nor evoke emotions, nor does it store or trigger memories of momentous moments. Then there could be a lot that may irritate, even torment one.
What could possibly irritate one at home? It will depend how one defines irritation. Irritation is commonly defined as a state of mind where one is feeling annoyed, impatient or slightly angry. In terms of conveniences, a whole host of things could be an irritation. A leaked plumbing, a malfunctioning electric connection, an unkempt lawn, the traffic noise at odd hours, even an intruding and meddlesome neighbour- all may be potentially irritating. And irritation could also arise due to the behaviour of the co-inhabitants of the home, one’s family, a visiting guest, even an unacceptable behaviour of a pet. Yet another source of irritation could be purely corporal and health related, an allergy for example, caused by a plant or a pollen.
And one can encounter emotional irritation as well. The memories of someone dear, who has departed; an incident in the home that evokes disturbing thoughts, even the sight of someone who you abhor and yet can not ignore.
Given my frame of mind, and my decades old belief that home is always a place that offers solace and succour, peace of mind, and a gratifying purpose for living, I find it difficult to detect a source or sources that cause me irritation. Minor inconveniences, surely yes, a leaking tap, a creaking door, a choked sink. But these don’t trouble me at all.
But what unfortunately troubles me is a situation that I am neither able to help nor ignore nor underplay. It is the disruption to the prevailing tranquility of my surroundings. And this is one irritant that despite my best of efforts continue to bother and nag me. I can not even wish it away.
I don’t know whether it qualifies to be discussed as an irritant related to home.
I wonder if many people are aware of a phenomenon known as building a ‘Spite House.’ Some times also referred to as ‘Revenge House’, they are homes that are built to irritate neighbours or serve as an act of revenge. ‘Love Thy Neighbour’, may be a very proper Biblical exhortation but not everyone subscribes to this notion. Some people construct their houses or modify them with the specific purpose of annoying others. Known as Spite Houses, these dwellings can be irritating for various reasons. At times they hinder a nice view, at others they block out an access or even simply built too close to your home.
I am a victim of a Spite House coming up in my neighbourhood and that is irritating me no end. Perhaps spite house is not the correct expression because It may not have been constructed with the specific purpose of spiting me and many others like me. And while commercial considerations seem to be the main reason for such construction, it is not a secret that the permission for this high rise construction was manipulated violating an existing stipulation against high rises in this area.
The main reason for my shifting to the present house, which I call my home, was the splendour of isolation and seclusion. That stands denied to me today. Not that I was not aware of a possibility of a construction coming up in front of my dwelling but I did not expect it to be a multi storied building completely blocking the view from my home.
While I am trying my best to reconcile to this new reality, the claustrophobic confinement where my sight is cruelly shut off from the greenery yonder, is stifling and turning me insane.
scribo ad LX 