I have spent a rather large amount of time over the last month trying to grasp the concept of a tiny house history, how it plays into a more obtuse history of domiciles, and the inspiration spots we tiny housers regularly resort to. It has been eye opening to say the least. I am even using it as a basis for a lecture at this weekends upcoming Tiny House Jamboree Dayton Mini Jam. Entitled ‘Tiny House 101: Tracing Little Digs Through History’ the presentation begins with a look at the “tipping point” of houses post-WII, travels back to the Ice Age and continues through Tudor houses, Igloos, teepees, modular homes of the mid-1960s, and ends with the modern tiny house movement.
Through the years I had watched as several of my favorite tiny house projects had wrapped up and seemingly fallen off the InterEarth. It isn’t that the couples/families perished. It wasn’t that their house rolled away. Rather, it appeared to be about a process with a very distinct beginning and end with little room or desire to extend beyond. By late 2013 I was looking at tiny houses and almost asking myself aloud, “when does this tiny house story end?#8221; I was approaching these new beginnings with a pre-determined and resolute ending. I had become jaded without even realizing it. I realized that no matter how much I loved the house or had fallen in love with the people living within or drew inspiration from it, ultimately it would end.
The blog would have a last post and – typically without fanfare or announcement – the posts would stop showing up. I would be left assuming all went well and all involved are living happily ever after. I think back to two of my absolute favorites:
The former stopped one day in April 2012 as Even and Gabby had just settled into an RV park “for the time being.” Clothesline continued on after the build – sort of – with more academic posts including the October 10, 2013 post that was the couple’s last original entry.
But despite personal disappointment and confusion at the expense of the reader(s), what is the importance of maintaining a tiny house blog ad nauseam? At what point does it cease being an inspiring, helpful, tiny house blog, and begin being nothing more than a personal online documentary. Even as I continue posting on Tiny r(E)volution I ask this question…and others. Are we still relevant? Do readers still care? Has [the blog] become more of a rant or a recycled DIY repository? When does the tiny house story end?