Recently, I've become addicted to the Home and Garden Channel. It's a harmless addiction but not one of which I'm particularly proud. When winding down at night, reading a good book or watching some highly-acclaimed dramatic series seems like a better use of time. But lately, I can't get enough of TV series featuring ordinary people either looking for "the house of their dreams" or having their current abode made over into said dreamhouse. The make-over shows appeal to my creative side, but I'm also intrigued by the home-buyers featured on series like "House Hunters."

For those who don't share my addiction, each episode of "House Hunters" features a couple searching for a new home in a particular city or town. Usually, they're moving there because they're starting a new job or retiring from an old one. The couple is paired with a real estate agent to whom they reveal the type of house they're looking for and how much they're willing to spend for it.

What some of these people think they can get for the money they're willing to spend is the stuff of great comedy-or tragedy, take your pick. I mean, who actually believes that for $1,200 a month, they can get a three-bedroom/two-bath rental with a balcony within walking distance of the trendiest restaurants and shops in a major U.S. urban center? Before I became an addict, I would have said no one over the age of 12. But since my addiction, I've learned that such expectations are fairly common among Americans of all ages.

And speaking of Americans of all ages, what has fascinated me is how often these potential home buyers exhibit two particular mindsets.

Those with the first mindset, while wanting privacy when they close their front door, also want to walk out that door and be immersed in community. If they decide not to cook dinner, they want to stroll down the street to a local restaurant. When walking the dog, they want to pass other dog-walkers, window-shop, or grab a cup of coffee. They like living in the heart of the action.
The second mindset is the exact opposite. Give these folks a McMansion on 40,000 acres in some uncharted wilderness. If they can't have that, they'll take a house in the suburbs as long as they can't see or be seen by neighbors. Their ideal backyard wouldn't face another yard; it would overlook a swath of forest that might bring to mind a magnificent National Park…or the abode of a serial killer from a slasher film.

If one mindset craves the adrenaline rush of constant social connection, the other craves life in a fortress of solitude. I wonder if these mindsets in the extreme have something to do with the divisiveness currently wracking our nation.

Of course, millions of us are somewhere between these two mindsets. We love feeling connected to others while valuing the necessity of time alone. In the end, it's all about finding the proper balance.

Rob Lauer is an award-winning, nationally-produced and published playwright with over 35 years of experience in the entertainment industry. His national credits include production work for MGA Films, Time/Warner TV, The Learning Channel and The History Channel. Locally, Rob has been producing, directing and hosting three TV series for PCTV (the City of Portsmouth’s official channel) since 2011.