Recently I saw a comic online that made me laugh so hard I had to put my tea down to enable me to properly keel over. It was a series of stills illustrating how romantic relationships differ and change from a new relationship, to a long-term one involving cohabitation. Each image was fantastic, but this one struck a chord regarding some recent requests from friends for a blog on the “Man Cave”. In the first image a couple is talking about the joys of getting to share their stuff, listing off all of their possessions and making plans to run to IKEA to buy more “things to put our existing things on”. In the next one the fellow is sitting in a comfy chair watching TV while his lady is asking “Does the painting of Wookie Jesus HAVE to be in the living room?” Without even turning around her partner replies “Yes. It inspires me.” THIS IS MY LIFE.
I lived alone for many years, and didn’t realize how accustomed I had become to decorating and maintaining my space… well… MY way. When my husband first moved in it was a bit of an adjustment, and I have to say I think my OCD did fairly well getting used to having gnomes, action figures, comic books, and Darth Vader around. We even had a Yoda suspended from the ceiling above my desk! He puts up with my throw pillows, draperies and somewhat uncomfortable chairs that are so PRETTY; I put up with his collections. It’s a good life, for now.
We do have plans, though, and this is something I think will work really well when we can get a place which will allow us to build THE MAN CAVE. In this scenario I get to use my theatrical creative background to come up with some pretty cool ideas for my husband’s belongings, and appear like a hero for my “cool wife” efforts. Really it’s a win-win in which I also come out on top: the stuff will be located in one place, freeing up the rest of the house to be more tastefully decorated…perhaps I’m a terrible person after all…
We have done the best we can with our current home, but one day our future home will have one or all of these somewhat ridiculous features comprising a special room just for him. A place he can proudly call his own. Our ideas include: A bar area with a backlit metal sculpture of the Bat-symbol. The bar may or may not look like the bridge from the Starship Enterprise. Maybe there will be a hidden room behind a bookshelf that will have all of his favourite comics displayed and lit on the walls as art, and in the centre of the room perhaps a hammer of Thor rigged up to an electro-magnet so that only he can pick it up from its rock-encrusted cradle. Throw in some awesome seating, with sound system and projector for movies and big games, and maybe, I don’t know, a ball pit or something and we’ve got ourselves a pretty cool place, no?
It may take us 20 years to afford and accomplish all of this, and I’m sure the plans will change, but for now the dreaming is enough. A place for his passions and hobbies will benefit the whole family, provided we are allowed inside. He won’t feel alienated from the design plans, and I won’t have to work with a Yoda literally hanging over my head. Maybe someday a sanctuary for me will be added to the dreams… maybe an ensuite with garden windows… a giant Jacuzzi tub… oh! And a walk-in closet…