Crazy

For many the Tiny House Movement seems crazy.  Americans are programmed to want more and bigger while smaller is seen as a Japanese mentality.  Historically many new ideas are thought of as crazy until they become mainstream.  One only has to think of the radical ideas such as a Round Earth, Airplane or Television to see ideas evolve from crazy to practical.  Going Tiny or small isn't about exploring how small of a space one can live but about aligning our wants and needs within an affordable living space.

Only when our wants and needs are in harmony do we have a real chance for peace. Sam Sorrells

Comparison

Karie, my wife, is fond of saying "Comparison is the joy killer." which is a quote attributed to Theodore Roosevelt. I find this to be contagious in the Tiny House movement. Stats are given about the average size home, family size, income and debt constantly yet I don't know anyone truly average.  The Average is given as a measurement against ourselves. Instead of comparing ourselves to the "Average" we should seek our level of comfort with living smaller and/or without stuff.  If comparison is necessary I'd rather compare me now to me yesterday, at least it's a fairer comparison yet never truly fair because yesterday was a different me.

"Decorate your home. It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is." Charles M. Schulz

Tiny House Notion

Speaking of the Tiny House movement, we became a little disillusioned when we found that several of the tiny houses from the TV show Tiny House Nation were for rent on AirBnB.  On the show the home owners and the hosts acted as if these homes were a long term solution yet here they are seemingly as rental property.  The show sells itself as educational yet it feels more entertainment.  I understand that a percentage of the home owners might decide that tiny living isn't for them and would then turn their folly into an investment.  One problem I see with the show is that they build a tiny house in roughly a week during which time the home owners are required to downsize to roughly 1/10th of their original contents.  From experience a week isn't enough time to downsize, it's still a process for us.

"To be happy in life, you must learn the difference between what you Want vs Need." Ritu Ghatourey