The Man Cave

16 November 2008

This weekend as I was cleaning my bedroom within my apartment, I realized that my special space was more than just where I sleep or get things done. With this I had an epiphany and became quite excited: my room is a bona fide man-cave!

The official term “man cave” seems to have come about only in recent years, at least in the most modern sense of the word, yet the idea is at least as old as man himself, as I will show you later on in this post. Indeed, it is supposed that at one time men did frequently live in caves, as they offer most effective yet completely natural protection from the elements. Perhaps the modern phenomena of men’s need to isolate themselves in personal bliss and privacy is derived from this basic instinct. Thus, I will proceed to inform you as to what exactly a modern man cave is.

An online urban dictionary offers the following definition of a modern man cave (slightly edited by me):

Man cave1 n. [pr. man kāv] pl. “man caves”  - A room, space, corner or area of a dwelling that is specifically reserved for a male person to be in a solitary condition away from the rest of a household, often with the intent to work, play, and involve himself in certain hobbies and/or activities without interruption. This area is usually decorated by a male, often without any female influence.

 

Example:  Tom retreated to his man cave to play his awesome online RPG game.

 

There are further qualifications in order for a space to be considered a genuine man cave. One qualification is the need for the space to contain “phat loot,” or, for those unfamiliar with online gaming jargon, “cool stuff.” This stuff may include (but is not limited to) a powerful gaming computer and/or video game system(s), powerful speakers, a comfortable chair and/or bed, personal trinkets, an internet connection, posters and other manly pictures and trophies displayed on the wall, a personal multimedia library of games, movies, music, and the occasional book, and finally, a small refrigerator or other means of personal sustenance. It is within a modern man cave that men can slay dragons, turn up the volume, or just get away from it all.

As I mentioned before, it is true that the definition of the man cave has changed over the centuries, but the essential purpose and essence remains the same. Let us now consider some historical examples. The man cave of Thomas Jefferson, for example, was his entire house (Monticello) or, perhaps more specifially, his study full of books, paintings, and tools for writing. Still in even more ancient times did men have man caves. Elijah from the Bible also had one:

1 Kings 19:9 - And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

From this example it is clear that the prophet Elijah was simply taking a break from it all, and in his mind he probably responded to the Lord in the following fashion, “Dude, I was just relaxing in my man cave, sheesh!”

Having considered now both the definition and history of the man cave, is it any wonder that such a marvelous concept is so popular among the men of today? Life is stressful, and a personal man cave offers the best way to relax and gain a refreshed perspective on life and the world at large. Women are the true owners of the castle, and thus it is prudent for the man of the house (or the college student tired of constant classes and studying) to have his own personal space that represents who he is.

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Posted by N. Palmer

A Personal Legacy

5 November 2008

Much of who we are is lost with time...Defining myself is an ongoing goal that I have for my life. I can do this through many means, such as my actions, beliefs, choices, goals, career, family, and more. This is actually one of the primary reasons I run this weblog. One of the most important things I can do, however, is to leave a little piece of me behind that might have the opportunity to last, and maybe even be appreciated, even beyond the duration of my mortal life. One of the ways I can accomplish this is by keeping journals and other important records.

Family is an eternal principle and institution. Many persons are greatly interested in their own genealogy, or family history, and this, in my opinion, is indeed a very worthwhile pursuit. But truly, how many of us genuinely know who our ancestors were, at least beyond our grandparents? Much of family history involves sometimes lengthy and relatively complicated research (although technologically it gets easier by the day). Even if we can research names, important dates, and places, the personality, the dreams, indeed the essence of who our progenitors were is lost to us in this life. Imagine how much heritage would have been preserved if our ancestors had recorded even a brief record of their lives and ideas and passed them down from generation to generation?

Perhaps there are a great number of reasons why many such records could not have been feasibly done or preserved, but we, in this day and age, have no excuse. Thus I would encourage any who read this to start, even in a small way, recording important things pertaining to you and your life. Write a brief autobiography, make scrapbooks, keep a personal or digital journal of your important experiences, thoughts and happenings in life, or label photos. The possibilities are endless. If the idea of a complete personal biography seems daunting or too hard to accomplish in any detail, then simply write down brief, individual paragraphs or sentences about certain memories you may have from any part of your life, and keep them organized chronologically, adding to them as the past memories and experiences surface. These memories, even the smallest ones, will be priceless to your family.

It is through actions like these that we, as individuals, can effectively preserve our legacy and values for future generations. I strongly believe that it is of utmost importance that we preserve ourselves in this way so as to better define and organize ourselves, and preserve our love and affection for those who will come after us.

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Posted by N. Palmer

Intellectual Snobbism

29 October 2008

If you have ever taken any English, history or literature class in school (in whatever language), you may have thought to yourself that certain authors and especially poets in the past must have had way too much time on their hands, or at least somehow made a decent living by writing a few lines of obscure and almost indecipherable meaning. I will attempt to expand on this thought with a vague, low-quality rant.

There is much poetry and literature that I greatly appreciate, whether for its engaging style or prose or even significance in history, such as Shakespeare, Chaucer, and countless others. But I get the overall impression at times that much of what the intellectual world considers worthy writ is simply because it is old. I realize that this is probably why certain writing is included in certain civilization and literature courses, so that the student might learn more about the past and its relevant issues and literary styles, but sometimes when reading these various materials I have the urge to scream out something like, “what a WINDBAG this poet was!” for lack of a better accusation (that’s right, you heard me Robert Burns!). If I or any other person today was to write an original work of literature with a ”quality” comparable to certain past works, it would inevitably be discarded or ignored in today’s world of mass publishing and instant information.

Obviously back in the day there did not exist many other forms of entertainment (or time for it) besides reading (yes, still an excellent pastime), going to plays, or just going about everyday life, but surely the people of the past had better taste than some of what the literary historians of today think was excellent literature and poetry for their respective times. Of course it does boil down to opinions. Perhaps myself as a citizen of the contemporary world does not find a poem written in foreign slang about a local issue as interesting simply because I am far removed from its origins, and no I do not deny the educational value of studying even the unpopular bits of old writing, but my rant still stands in at least some plausible form.

Language and writing are beautiful things, but beauty is most certainly in the eye of the beholder. However I would not be surprised if an individual in the future looks at books or movies like The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, which are personal favorites of mine and generally held in high regard by many others, and thinks to him or herself, “what a load of rubbish.”

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Posted by N. Palmer

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