I had a man cave before it was called that.

For eons, men have had a space they called their own. A place to get away. This space has been called a number of different things, but the purpose was the same. When the pressures of their time reached an unacceptable level, they could escape.

One hundred years ago, when America was primarily an agrarian society, men had a barn. There, they could retreat to a day of taking care of the livestock, the blacksmithing chores, and other tasks. They were actually working, which gave them the perfect excuse to head out back.

The conversation probably went something like this:

Ma: “Pa, all 10 of the children need new shoes, and we don’t have enough egg money in the jar to pay for them. What are you expectin’ to do about it?”

Pa: “I’m going to the barn for a spell to think on it, Ma. Don’t hold supper fer me. I might be awhile.”

I suspect that the cave man used a similar approach; just a different location.

Cave Woman: “Grogg, you and your buddies just ate the last of the mastodon. What do you propose that I feed the children?”

Cave Man: “Me go to other cave over mountain to make plan. Don’t wait up. Ugh.”

Over the last 50 years or so, lots of men have had a workshop. For many, this started as a place away from the house where they could work on projects or repair things.

Out of necessity, most guys knew a little about a lot. They had to. Very few families had the money to pay someone to repair everything that broke, so they were taught by their fathers how to fix a lamp, lawnmower, or just about anything else.

Their workshops also gave men the perfect place to escape.

Wife: “Honey, the Johnsons just called and want to know if we want to come over and watch a slideshow of their trip to Omaha. Do you want to go?”

Husband: “Can’t do it, honey. Have to go to the shop and fix a broken lamp and lawnmower.”

In 2003, we moved to the country. There was an unfinished shop on the property. The slab and cinder block walls were there, but that was all. After rounding up a group of relatives and friends who worked for beer, I was able to complete the 15×20 structure, and set up my very first workshop.

First, I acquired all of the workshop essentials. I bought a 55-inch, high definition plasma TV, a refrigerator, radio, and charcoal grill. Later, as the budget allowed, I also bought some tools.

A few years after finishing and moving everything into my shop, I started hearing the term “Man Cave.”

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a man cave is: “A room or space designed according to the taste of the man of the house to be used as his personal area for hobbies and leisure activities.”

That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

There is now a cottage industry of businesses who sell things just for man caves. Everything from neon signs, to complete bars and liquor cabinets, to home theater systems.

When we built my shop, I had no idea that it would one day morph into a man cave. But, it has worked out.

I’ve even acquired new friends because of it. My new buddy Grogg is bringing over some mastodon later to throw on the charcoal grill.

©2016 John Moore
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