Here’s to Hovels!

I am writing today from my home office, and I am almost ecstatically happy about it. You probably couldn’t tell, but I’ve been away for the past two weeks—and by “away” I mean I was about half an hour up the road dog-sitting for a friend. It was fun. The dog was great, the house was great, the swimming pool was great … working, though, was only okay, and not just because I missed my high-speed Internet access.

Apparently I am more a creature of habit than I realized. Although I worked in a quite comfortable dining room in my friend’s home, at a table with way more space than I am used to, somehow I missed my little office with its stacks of papers and books. I should explain that my home office currently consists of a small computer desk, balance-ball chair, computer and printer, desk lamp, Get Fuzzy calendar, books, and semi-organized files. It’s all crammed into the corner of a basement bedroom. It’s a hovel, more or less, but it’s my hovel. I would take a picture of it to share with you, but I fear no one would ever hire me again if they saw this place. A palace it ain’t.

Anyway, regardless of the physical appearance of my office/hovel, I work well here. It’s easy to focus my mind, and I know where (almost) everything is. I’m comfortable here—physically and mentally. Discipline is not a problem. But when it’s ninety-some degrees outside and there’s an inviting swimming pool just out the back door, discipline is not so easy!

So here’s to hovels, and to those of us who happily work in them. Who needs a fancy office? Give me my comfortable, comforting stacks of stuff!