Tiny Housing

I'd always been a person really reluctant to buy a house. It had started from when I was a child and my dad especially made be go outside to water the lawn. It was a chore I'd hated. I'd rather have washed the dishes every day than water the lawn. With that mindset, I'd always thought I'd rent forever and never have to worry about cutting lawns, expansion, or groundskeeping of any sort.

Now I'm watching this Al Jazeera America documentary on having a tiny house, building them, and everything surrounding those decisions, including living there.

I remember moving to Georgia and thinking if I were to have a house, it would be a small house. I didn't want a multi-bedroom, multi-bathroom monstrosity that people seek to own just because they "have to". I wanted a small house, just on my own. Maybe a partner, sure, but not with all the trappings. You wouldn't have this $200,000 mortgage and enormous property taxes, shocking utility bills, or having to maintain a huge house when pieces of it start falling apart after a few years.

Then they'd said one pivotal thing at the beginning of the documentary that made me kind of angry: many places have rules that make tiny houses illegal.

I mean, seriously?! Just because you don't want a 1000+ square-foot house, you have to either move out of the country or build your house on wheels?! That sounds like a racket!

This country just doesn't seem built for those who like modesty, or want to live it.

More is not always better.

I'd just want a small tract of land with a house on it.

I remember when it came time to go on my own, I'd wanted to buy a twin-sized bed. My parents kept discouraging me, eventually forcing me by guilty feelings to buy this queen-sized bed that I don't even use the majority of for sleeping.

Everyone says my one-bedroom apartment in Atlanta was the best I had, but I'd always liked my Fort Lauderdale studio apartment the best. It upset me to have to move from it.

I'd even said I'd be comfortable in one of those stereotypical Japanese city-dweller's apartments. So, a tiny house would suit me.

I feel that sharing that wish would meet discouragement, though.

"Why would you want such a small house?" Already answered.

"What about the future?" I don't see myself living ostentatiously or wanting more than that.

That's one issue, too. The documentary had brought up "what other people think". Why is that so important? So what  if you want a small house! They didn't, you do.

It doesn't matter.