Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman

by Patrick Hutchison

Growing up, most of us didn’t have the benefit of a father who taught us the sorts of things you see fathers teach their kids in movies. And if we did, we didn’t have the sense to listen to them. We didn’t know how to build houses or fix cars. We didn’t know the difference between a jigsaw and a scroll saw or why you might want an orbital sander versus a palm sander. We faked our way through engine trouble when girls were around, and we tried our best to offer firm handshakes whenever we could, even if the strongest thing we normally gripped was a Nintendo controller or a guitar neck. As adults, our fears of lost security deposits kept us from the sorts of trial-and-error projects that might have offered a few lessons in home renovation, but that certainly didn’t mean we didn’t want to. The cabin was practice. Most importantly, it was practice in a place far from the prying eyes of people who might see what we were doing and offer some criticism. It was a safe space.