A tale as old as time itself
- Laura Moore: Housebroken
- November 19, 2024
- 117
When Adam and Eve were evicted from the garden, their first chore was finding a place to live. Because their previous landlord had provided excellent accommodations, they were very likely shocked to discover how difficult it was to find affordable housing.
A cave probably seemed a good idea, but finding one in a nice neighborhood was difficult. Large, saber-toothed creatures also preferred caves, and they would make rather undesirable neighbors. After examining their options, some Homo sapiens opted for tents. These were rather handy for folding and sneaking away when the neighborhood got rough.
It wasn’t long before one of Eve’s granddaughters told her mate she was tired of all the folding and sneaking away. “I want a place to call our own,” she said, “something with a door.” So our ancient ancestor got to work and built a free-standing shelter with a door — no windows but a nice, sturdy door. He then took a giant step for humankind and carried his mate over the newly invented threshold.
She loved it but saw immediately the need for some remodeling. “A couple of windows would let in the light,” she said, “and a flue would let the smoke out when a fire is burning.” Before he knew it, Adam’s descendant was up to his bearskin in home improvements.
Humble and crude though it was, that shelter was the prototype for humankind’s greatest and most expensive creation: the house. Today the descendants of that ancestral dwelling are legendary. Evolving through the ages into a species of great diversity, Habitatus Homo Occupantus flourishes all over the world.
Created by humans, the house in turn became a creator — creating a demand for goods and services unparalleled in history. But it’s still better than a tent.