As a professional home inspector, I run across all types of structures, including multi-family apartment buildings, typical ranch homes, log cabins and mansions. I get to inspect all sizes of homes as well, ones ranging from 8000 sq.ft + to modest small two room dwellings under 500 sq. ft. That's what makes my job so satisfying, rewarding and interesting. Its certainly NEVER boring!

Recently, I had the good fortune to inspect an incredibly gorgeous, very expensive and quite large home (7000 sq.ft +) in the exclusive suburbs north of Philadelphia; the very day after inspecting a vacant, severely neglected and frankly creepy property in an older and very modest community near the Poconos. The contrast between the two properties could hardly have been greater. It was a humbling experience on both ends, not because I had never inspected properties such as these, for I have, and do so regularly, but because I can't remember the last time I'd done so back to back as these two inspections were! Rags and riches!

I was humbled because it really hit home what a contrast of life styles there are and how vastly different people live, or what is known in sociological cycles as, "the human condition". The small mansion was humbling in the sense of how people of wealth live, and knowing for certain that short of a miracle, I could never own such a place myself, though I could apply for domestic help in an emergency! On the other end of the spectrum, the very small, abandoned and filthy half of a double home was truly not habitable for human life, not even for most animals that come to mind, except the always "willing to occupy" rat and creepy crawling insect! This place had purportedly been "home" to an unfortunate recluse obviously suffering from an assortment of mental issues, including paranoia, as evidenced by the windows that were boarded up with homemade peep holes. I'll sum it up in a nut shell by telling you that there was no discernible bathroom present, (nor heating for that matter) and I'll leave the rest to you imagination!

So what is the take home message? In fact, there are many, but for me, a few come to mind (and I didn't make these up, they are widely known and accepted across all lines of faith and even those of goodwill who don't practice any organized religion.
1.  Count your blessings in life, whether your rich or poor, because your fortunes can change, sometimes overnight.
2.   There will always be greater and lesser persons than yourself, so be humble.Remember, scripture says, "he who humbles himself shall be exalted, and he that exalts himself, shall be humbled".
3.   Help those less fortunate than yourself to whatever degree possible. By doing so you yourself will be rewarded, both in this life and in next.