In Search of Privacy
I read an article the other day about a professor who, as his retirement approached, slowly built a small, rustic lodge in his backyard. The detail that made this a story is that he managed to complete the project while keeping it secret from his wife, who slept not more than a few dozen feet away.
Of course she knew he was building something, but he maintained that it was a storage shed rather than the completely furnished retreat it eventually became. This fellow was probably in a bit of hot water with his better half over the ordeal (as I may be for admitting this), but I completely understand why he did it.
He was soon to leave behind his office at the university. This was where he completed the bulk of his life's work. By creating a new space, he could still enjoy in retirement a sanctuary complete with his teeming bookcases and favorite recliner.
The need for privacy in our lives is often readily dismissed as frivolous and seldom accepted as priority. Yet it’s one of the reasons I recently finished a home office. Now I have a haven where I can write, read, or just plop into a bean bag and think. My wife uses it for the same reasons, so while it's not exactly my own, it serves its purpose.
I wouldn't mind having my own little lodge out back someday, though I highly doubt I’d keep it secret from my wife. Really, there's no way I'd be able to pick out rugs and window treatments without her.