My father used to take me and my brothers “out to the woodshed” when we needed a lesson on any number of childhood violations. He was not a violent man, but the shed was the place where he knew he had us without distraction, and it seemed a somber and fitting place for such business. We hated that old building. That old backyard shed is long gone from my mom and dad’s property, but the lessons I learned there will stay with me forever. I’ve started my own family now, with a young boy of my own growing up fast, and recently my wife mentioned she thought we needed a shed. I quickly agreed, but probably for a different reason than she had in mind.

The apple doesn’t fall too far from the shed, after all. I guess I was aware of the fact that our family’s shed growing up also stored household items in it, but that wasn’t why I was there. Still, with a growing family, we really could use the extra space. And my son is much more obedient than I ever was, so I might not even need to use our new plastic shed for anything but keeping pillows and equipment in.  I could learn to love a shed at this stage in my life.