Sir Osis of Liver

In college we had a drinking game of taking a shot every time the president said 'community'. We would have been quite drunk during every speech if weren't attending a dry college. I still take a shot (in spirit) when I hear the word.
So, communities. Tiny house communities to be specific. There seem to be many thriving communities composed of tiny builders, tiny dwellers, tiny renters, etc. Though these all seem located quite a distance from Pittsburgh, the West and North-West specifically. I was overjoyed when I learned a local organization, cityLab, was working to build a tiny house in the city (though it turned out to be a stationary and expensive home, neither things I'm interested in). Then someone posted in a tiny house facebook group about this house. Suddenly people from Pittsburgh were popping up, many of us only a stone's throw from each other!
We gathered in our own group (Tiny House WPA for others living in western Pennsylvania). Suddenly I wasn't a lone woman with a crazy idea, I was part of a group that shared the same crazy idea!
Then I got a second surprise, a local home show was going to have a THOW (tiny house on wheels) free to tour. This past Sunday I got to stand in a tiny house. While I could have explored the space all day, it was definitely the most popular booth of the show making it difficult to imagine the space without half a dozen people in it. While it was a short visit, it was very helpful to be in the space; I already made a few adjustments to my design. The best part was sharing it all with my Meema.
The range of reactions from my family wains between excitement and skepticism over this project. Many send me articles about homes built from shipping containers, others question what I'd do when I got married (that is a can of worms we won't open at this time). Besides my mom, no one has taken a serious interest beyond basic questions. My meema and I have always had a special relationship, though we don't spend as much time together playing with Disney figurines and watching My Girl as we used to. Sharing this experience with her wasn't just enjoyable because the time spent together, it also felt validating. I am sometimes painfully reminded how odd I am, but it also comes with a reassurance that my family is quite aware of this. And though it can sometimes cause arguments ranging from sparklers to atomic levels, they are generally supportive of my quirks. I only wish everyone was able to say the same.