While driving the kids to school this morning and I noticed the fervent ant-like activity of the elementary school children busily building snowforts around the play yard. As I was watching this I began to ponder this building urge that small humans seem to have. I recall as a child needing to build shelters pretty much where ever I went. In the livingroom I would build massive dwellings of blankets and furniture (the more ornate and passageway-ridden the better). In the winter I would build snowforts and in the summer tree houses. There was really no period of the year exempt from this effort.

What is it that drives us to create shelter? Mazlo would have an idea but we’ll leave him out of this. I would like to think this is another example of our God-wiring that has us innately aware at a young age for shelter as a primary survival requirement.

Still one is led to the age-old chicken and egg question of which came first – the wiring for shelter or the socialization?