Bigger is Better
Culture
I love the tiny house movement. I mean it borders on
obsession! I’ve been binge watching tiny house shows on HGTV and recently
watched Tiny on Netflix. I couldn’t figure out for the longest time why I loved
it so much. One of my phobias is claustrophobia, so you think I would be
adverse to small spaces. I lived in a small house growing up and I was very
happy growing up there. We always lived in a pleasant cozy space. However, I
dreamed of living in a big Victorian with those beautiful stairs (you know the
ones I’m talking about). I do enjoy tiny sized furniture and spaces. I think it
is quite adorable and inventive how they are able to utilize the small space.
I’ve discovered my tiny house obsession has a bit more depth and meaning than
simply loving miniature sized furniture.
I had my “A-HA!” moment as to why I am so enamored with tiny
houses and this movement toward smaller spaces after watching the documentary
Tiny. Drum roll please…. BECAUSE bigger is NOT better!! America and our
consumerism; we always want to keep up with the ‘Joneses’. Frankly, this has
resulted in everything getting bigger and bigger and BIGGER… and completely
ridiculous!! It’s really getting out of control and crazy! How much “stuff” and
space do we really need? Who are the Joneses anyway? The illusion of the
‘Joneses’ is really our own insecurities that if we don’t have enough and in turn that we, ourselves, aren’t good enough. This is a very flawed perception. Therefore, it is no surprise that in this
bigger is better culture that the tiny house movement has gained so much
momentum. The tiny house movement both challenges and attempts to thwart the
notion that bigger is indeed better.
Currently, we have ridiculously sized homes, stores,
churches…. Why? By embracing this mentality, we’ve lost small mom and pop
stores, depleted local businesses, drained people’s finances, and blocked many
from gaining financial stability and freedom. This type of financial bondage
restricts our ability to live with more depth and explore the world.
As Forest Gump would put it, “Momma said there’s only so
much fortune a man really needs and the rest is for showing off.”
We are totally showing off and in the process decreasing our
quality of life.
For me, I’d willingly trade my Victorian staircase … for
more quality time, experiences, and depth of life… seems like a fair trade off.
Is there more to the tiny house movement than just tiny
houses? You bet! Many are reaching into their lives and exploring what is
really important to them. In turn, I too have discovered that my tiny house
obsession has much deeper roots and it really hit the core of what I determine
is valuable in my life.
So to conclude: Bigger is not better. Stop showing off, America!
Check out the square footage of houses around the world in the infographic below:
Source: http://www.elledecor.com/life-culture/fun-at-home/news/a7654/
house-sizes-around-the-world/ August 26, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment