RT Cunningham

Man Cave - A Man’s Home is Not his Castle these Days

man cave A man’s home is his castle - until he gets married. Once that happens, a man cave will have to do. In my case, I can’t even make that my castle. Between my wife (Josie) and my daughter-in-law (Cathy), I’m left with no place I can hide out from the world.

I just watched the first episode of “Epic Mancave Builds” on the Discovery Channel. I must say, that man cave would make any man proud. Unfortunately, something like that is way beyond any budget I’ll ever keep.

What is a Man Cave anyway?

Well, the Wikipedia page for it describes it thus:

A man cave or manspace, and less commonly a manland or mantuary is a male retreat or sanctuary in a home, such as a specially equipped garage, spare bedroom, media room, den, or basement. The term “man cave” is a metaphor describing a room inside the house such as the basement or garage or attic or office, or outside the house such as a wood shed or tool room where “guys can do as they please”, without fear of upsetting any female sensibility about house decor or design.

Yep, that about sums it up. I don’t have a garage, a media room, a den, a basement, a shed or a tool room. The only thing in that description that exists here is a spare bedroom. I actually have two spare bedrooms but Cathy is occupying one of them until she heads to the United States. Which can’t come too soon, I might add.

My Current Man Cave

There was a time when I had an outdoor man cave, which I shared only with an aging electric water heater. It’s a three-quarter-enclosed area under the carport (formerly just a cement driveway). The carport and the road are even with the second story of the house.

It was a great outdoor space until Josie decided to use it as a gambling area. The children in my compound like to hang out there when it’s not being used for gambling. They have all usurped that throne.

The master bedroom is almost a man cave. I spend far more time in it than anywhere else. Josie sleeps in the bed and bathes in the master bath but she spends most of her waking hours elsewhere. It’s the only room I can claim as my own - most of the time. So… my current man cave isn’t really that at all.

A Potential Man Cave?

As much as I would like to convert one of the spare bedrooms into a man cave, it isn’t ever going to happen. Josie will let someone move into it before she’ll ever let me get away with it. As the man of the house, I should be able to put my foot down, right? Only if I want to live in the dog house for the rest of my life. And I’d have to build it too.

All I really need is a place to hang out, where I can write and program without being interrupted. A place where no one but me and those I invite (all men, of course) are allowed. A place where I can drink if I want to, watch movies if I want to, and do just about anything else I want to do.

That almost describes my master bedroom. Except that I get interrupted all the time and I can’t seem to keep anyone out. Unless I come into an incredible amount of money, it will have to suffice.



RT Cunningham
July 4, 2017
House and Home