We like to park in the same spots, sit in the same pews, and take the same route in to work each time. Our brains can relax in the frame of our usual chaotic lives. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I will park in the same area of the mall, strictly so I can find my car again! I admit, that I have a fear that if I did not do this, that one day I will be old and have to wait until the mall closes before I can find my car. And just to be prepared for when that day might come, I park in the same place each time. That spot became mine.
Ownership of space gives us comfort, whether it is in the lunchroom, in the scramble parking at work or your favourite spot on the sofa. We have marked it, like a dog who announces her territory. It is ours, hands off (please!).
When I picked up the book left in the staffroom for others to enjoy, I was not sure if I would like it. But with each passing page, each character that spoke and developed to have an image in my mind, it became MINE. Eventually, I tore a corner from the daily Metro and stuck it into my interrupted page. Guess what! Either no one else picked up the book that I grew to consume over my lunchtime (along with my carefully packed lunch) or my bookmark was respected as a well-worn fence. Possession, our mark on the world.
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