I got divorced about a year ago and kept my house (Chad had a bigger one, so she didn't want it) and I've realized that over the past year I've hardly even entered my old "man cave" and that got me thinking about this whole idea of a "man cave". That room used to be my sanctuary. It was the one place that I had control over, where I could go and put on some music and read a book or be alone with my thoughts for a moment. But now that I'm single this room is completely unnecessary because my entire house is now my sanctuary. I put up the decorations that I like wherever I want in my house. Things that inspire me go right out in the main room, not shoved back into a small room in the back of the house. This honestly does wonders for your peace of mind and overall happiness. I no longer have to feel guilty or like I'm doing something wrong, going back into a small dark room to do the things that I like.

The whole idea of a "man cave" is so incredibly depressing now when I think about it. The wife doesn't want anyone to see any of the things that makes men happy, so they make them shove it all in a room where it's out of sight and where she doesn't have to see her husband actually doing things he enjoys. He pays his half (or often much more than half) of the house, yet his control over it is relegated to one tiny room. A lot of men don't even get this, but if the wife does decide to throw him a bone and let him have a "man cave" then she often gets pissed when he spends any time in it (this is my experience at least). The entire thing is just oppressive and soul draining.