Galloping Cats

You know, Zillow, the site that estimates home values and, intriguingly, shows the last sale price?

I know it’s not perfectly accurate, but it can give you a general idea. For instance, I’ve tracked the increase and subsequent decrease in the value of our home to its present value, less than we paid in 2003. Fun times!

When Gatito’s school directory finally arrived, I confess I was curious about the homes his classmates live in. A told me I was being cheesy but I couldn’t help it. I already knew that one child arrives in a Bentley, and that my sister (whose son attended) had described the unimaginable wealth and laughed her ass off at me when I asked if she thought there was a used uniform exchange. (BTW, there is. I could’ve bought used sweaters for five bucks but I didn’t know till I’d already bought new ones.) And I know home prices aren’t exactly indicative of wealth– people spend money in different ways and many bought much more house than they could really afford– but again, it can give a general idea.

Unfortunately I don’t know the name of the kid who arrives in a Bentley (and is in a younger class), so I couldn’t look that one up. But I looked at everyone in Gatito’s class and found that house values (and prices paid) mostly ranged from right around the price of our home to about twice as much. I was surprised. I mean, we were definitely at the bottom of the range (and for many people this is on only one salary), and twice as much is a lot more, but it’s not ten times more. (There were, of course, a smattering of very expensive homes, but these were by far the minority.)

I don’t know if it’s wrong to do what I did, and I don’t know how I would have felt if the information had been different, but I feel a whole lot better. I feel like I don’t have to be embarrassed to have people over to our house or worry that they might think it is a shack.

And actually, while I’m on the point of perceptions not matching reality: I walked into that school expecting exactly nothing in terms of relationships with the other parents and I have ended up being pleasantly surprised by the friendliness. A couple of women have been very cold (incidentally, the ones with the fanciest houses), but by and large, most of the parents I’ve met have been warm and open.

***

We attended the birthday party of the boy whose parents requested only used items to donate to charity in lieu of gifts today. I didn’t bring something used, but I did bring a re-wrap– a baby gift basket that included a onesie, booties, wash cloths, a blanket, etc. I figured a family in crisis with a newborn might be very happy to receive such a thing. It was really hard for me not to bring anything even small for the birthday boy, like a single matchbox car. Instead, I had Gatito draw him a picture.

I noticed at least one other person giving a new toy. It was unwrapped, so I assume the intended it for donation and I realized that there was another angle, which is that in asking people to give gently used toys, they’re asking other parents to take something away from their child on terms that someone else set up. And when that new gift arrived, I watched  the birthday boy sort of chase his mother to the closet, nose in the bag, while she reminded him that people were bringing things to donate. I’m sure he doesn’t want for anything, but still, I couldn’t help feeling a little badly for him.