“Love is a toil and life is a trouble, Riches will fade and beauty will flee, Pleasures they dwindle and prices they double, And nothing is as I would wish it to be” (Housewife’s lament c 19th century).

Downstairs, in my apartment building in the Upper West Side, is the office of my dreams. It’s a corner office with large glass windows so I can’t help but see in as I walk home from the subway station. Sometimes I linger and savour the scene in the reception room.

The room is spacious, clean, well lit, and tastefully decorated. The walls are covered with soft beige wallpaper. The triangular design mirrors the angular design of the tiled floor—nice touch! Behind the reception area are two large framed posters that provide some area of focal interest to the otherwise muted wall treatment. To the left of the receptionist’s counter is a laminated article that appeared in a national journal. The overall effect is calm and soothing.

One day, I walked into the office in the guise of wanting to know about fees (not cheap) but in …