Jesse Smedley has been reading Walden, by Henry David Thoreau and shared this with me.
This past weekend I was re-reading one of my favorite books: Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. Many of your tiny house readers are probably familiar with the book, and I would urge those who have not read it to do so. It’s a wonderful meditation on the virtues of the simple life. As I read it again I came across the following passage, which seemed so relevant to your tiny house weblog that I hoped you might share it with your readers. It comes from the chapter titled “Economy,” in which he describes the building of his own tiny house beside Walden pond, and muses on the simplest way one might obtain shelter:
“Formerly, when how to get my living honestly, with freedom left for my proper pursuits, was a question which vexed me even more than it does now, for unfortunately I am become somewhat callous, I used to see a large box by the railroad, six feet long by three wide, in which the laborers locked up their tools at night; and it suggested to me that every man who was hard pushed might get one for a dollar, and, having bored a few auger holes in it to admit the air at least, get into it when it rained and at night, hook down the lid, and so have freedom in his love, and in his soul be free.”
–Henry David Thoreau
I have attached a photo below that I found on the internet of a 3 x 6 tool shed. This would be minimalist living to the extreme, but it is fun to imagine how you could use this size space and make it a complete and livable home.