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How Houses Hold Our Memories
Format: Post-call
Runtime: ~8 minutes
Source: Environmental psychology , place identity (Proshansky, Fabian & Kaminoff, 1983); biographical place attachment
Some houses you walk into and you understand immediately that you're dealing with something that has continuity to it. Not just years , decades. And then you understand that the person who lives there has been there for most of it.
He was in his late seventies. Sharp. Funny when he wanted to be. He'd been in the house since 1967. He told me that before I got through the door. He said it the way a person says something they think you should know upfront.
The house was not a museum. It was a lived-in house. But it had the depth of a place where decades of decisions had accumulated , the doorframe with the height marks still visible behind where a shelf had been added, the garage with tools organized in a way that made complete sense only to the person who'd organized them over fifty years, the HVAC access in the utility room that some previous installer had marked in pencil with the date. 1989. He left that mark there.
The system I installed , not me personally, but a system I'd serviced twice before , was at end of life. The compressor was going. The coil was showing its age. At some point this spring or summer it was going to stop, and it was going to stop hard.
I said: the system needs to be replaced. I want to be straight with you about that.
He looked at me for a long moment. Then he said: that unit went in after Dolores passed.
I didn't know who Dolores was. I didn't ask yet. I said: okay.
He said: she never liked the old one. Said it was too loud. The new one was quieter. She liked it better.
I said: when did she pass?
He said: 1993. Thirty-three years ago.
There's a concept in environmental psychology called place identity , the idea that people's sense of self is partly constituted by the places they've inhabited. Harold Proshansky and his colleagues developed the framework in the early 1980s. The argument is that the places we live and move through don't just hold our memories , they become part of how we understand who we are. Strip them away and some piece of the self goes with them.
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Thanks for tuning in to Hartzell's Heat & Air, your trusted HVAC experts in Oklahoma and beyond. From Kingfisher to coast-to-coast consulting, we design, install, and maintain smart, efficient systems that deliver year-round comfort.
We're employee-owned, family-run, and powered by 45+ years of experience. Whether it's AI-powered thermostats, geothermal systems, or classic tune-ups, we deliver upfront pricing, expert care, and warranties that back it all up.
🛠️ Book Online:
https://book.housecallpro.com/book/Hartzells-Heat--Air/4a569038b3dc460daf2d5f6497b18351?v2=true
🌐 www.hartzellsheatair.com
📞 (405) 375-4822
🚛 Trane Comfort Specialist • Mitsubishi Diamond Dealer • ClimateMaster Elite
🛡️ VIP Comfort Club • Remote Monitoring • Extended Warranties
📲 Follow us for tips, updates, and real-world installs:
YouTube: @hartzellsheatair6003
X: https://x.com/HartzellsHVAC
Facebook: facebook.com/hartzellsheatair
LinkedIn: Dave Hartzell
Built on trust. Backed by warranty. Designed for comfort.
View all episodes
By Dave Hartzell's Heat & Air - Kingfisher,OKFormat: Post-call
Runtime: ~8 minutes
Source: Environmental psychology , place identity (Proshansky, Fabian & Kaminoff, 1983); biographical place attachment
Some houses you walk into and you understand immediately that you're dealing with something that has continuity to it. Not just years , decades. And then you understand that the person who lives there has been there for most of it.
He was in his late seventies. Sharp. Funny when he wanted to be. He'd been in the house since 1967. He told me that before I got through the door. He said it the way a person says something they think you should know upfront.
The house was not a museum. It was a lived-in house. But it had the depth of a place where decades of decisions had accumulated , the doorframe with the height marks still visible behind where a shelf had been added, the garage with tools organized in a way that made complete sense only to the person who'd organized them over fifty years, the HVAC access in the utility room that some previous installer had marked in pencil with the date. 1989. He left that mark there.
The system I installed , not me personally, but a system I'd serviced twice before , was at end of life. The compressor was going. The coil was showing its age. At some point this spring or summer it was going to stop, and it was going to stop hard.
I said: the system needs to be replaced. I want to be straight with you about that.
He looked at me for a long moment. Then he said: that unit went in after Dolores passed.
I didn't know who Dolores was. I didn't ask yet. I said: okay.
He said: she never liked the old one. Said it was too loud. The new one was quieter. She liked it better.
I said: when did she pass?
He said: 1993. Thirty-three years ago.
There's a concept in environmental psychology called place identity , the idea that people's sense of self is partly constituted by the places they've inhabited. Harold Proshansky and his colleagues developed the framework in the early 1980s. The argument is that the places we live and move through don't just hold our memories , they become part of how we understand who we are. Strip them away and some piece of the self goes with them.
Give Us A Shout
Thanks for tuning in to Hartzell's Heat & Air, your trusted HVAC experts in Oklahoma and beyond. From Kingfisher to coast-to-coast consulting, we design, install, and maintain smart, efficient systems that deliver year-round comfort.
We're employee-owned, family-run, and powered by 45+ years of experience. Whether it's AI-powered thermostats, geothermal systems, or classic tune-ups, we deliver upfront pricing, expert care, and warranties that back it all up.
🛠️ Book Online:
https://book.housecallpro.com/book/Hartzells-Heat--Air/4a569038b3dc460daf2d5f6497b18351?v2=true
🌐 www.hartzellsheatair.com
📞 (405) 375-4822
🚛 Trane Comfort Specialist • Mitsubishi Diamond Dealer • ClimateMaster Elite
🛡️ VIP Comfort Club • Remote Monitoring • Extended Warranties
📲 Follow us for tips, updates, and real-world installs:
YouTube: @hartzellsheatair6003
X: https://x.com/HartzellsHVAC
Facebook: facebook.com/hartzellsheatair
LinkedIn: Dave Hartzell
Built on trust. Backed by warranty. Designed for comfort.