The Man Cave

I may be totally out of line here, but I'm getting really bothered by the whole "I need a man cave" thing that I'm seeing on all the house hunting TV shows.  


It is probably pretty obvious that I enjoy watching HGTV.  One of my favorite shows is House Hunters and really any show where you get to see inside people's houses.  I don't know why, it is just interesting to me.  


Maybe I am getting old or something but some of these people who are on these shows really irritate me.  They walk into a perfectly nice kitchen but it is "outdated" because it doesn't have stainless steel appliances or something and they say 'this is okay but it would have to be totally redone.'  Or 'I don't like that granite'.  Seriously?


And does every other woman in America truly NOT share the master closet with her husband or am I a total imbecile?  Where else is your husband going to put his clothes?


And then there is the "Man Cave".  Okay.  I get it.  Sometimes a man needs a place to just be all hairy and watch sports (although my husband is not a sports FANATIC).  But when did having a "man cave" or "man room" become a necessity for EVERY man?  I guess I see a man  room as something that you earn after years of putting up with the kids taking the whole house and then they leave home.  But then I see these couples who AREN'T EVEN MARRIED YET and the guy is all "I need this for my man room".  


Maybe it is true, as my mom always told me, that I am "just jealous".  Our first home was really a trailer sitting right here on our land where we live today.  It had belonged to my husband's grandparents and was decorated in 1970's gold carpet and paneled walls.  I could also touch every cabinet in the kitchen with all my limbs at once.  


Our first house had a 1930's kitchen but not in a good way.  It had been updated with 1960's kitchen carpet and had a strange bathroom between it and the dining room.  You walked through the bathroom to get to the dining room.  Sweet.


But it was so much fun and a real bonding experience to redo that kitchen.  Yeah, it was a huge headache to do it when I had three small boys and no way to cook but oh, the memories.  I guess what I am saying is, that it pays relationally to start out with imperfection and have something to work toward.  But maybe I am just getting old.


I did just dribble oatmeal down my shirt.