Basement Dwellers

Have you ever looked at something and thought, if I adjusted it marginally, it could be awesome? Then, the next thing you know, you’re pulling at threads on a metaphorical sweater and realizing you’re nearly naked, but you’re in too deep to stop. That’s where I’m at. I had an idea, it consumed my mind, and now I’m in the middle of an entire renovation project.

I house a myriad of tropical amphibians and a few reptiles in my basement. My goal for years has been to have it look and feel like an exhibit. Effectively, I already achieved that goal, but I couldn’t leave a few things alone. Now it looks like someone threw a grenade in a pet store. There are cages everywhere and piles of wood from destroyed racks that no longer fit my esoteric needs. I’m losing my mind.

I make fun of my dad every year for his manic obsession with Christmas lights and his insane collection of holiday inflatables that has made his house a destination for Randolph County holiday enthusiasts. I am not a fan of Christmas, nor do I care about decorating. I do care about my animal room, and I understand my dad’s mania. Hello, apple, meet tree. I am my father’s son, only my obsession is with tanks and tropical setups. I imagine the rest of my family rolls their eyes at me the same way I do at my father. Oof.

We both justify our hysteria by framing it as a community project. “I do this for the folks that love it.” I’m laughing at myself because truthfully, I want my animal room to be impressive, but hilariously, I also couldn’t care less if anyone else ever sees it. It’s for me, and sometimes for the internet people. Sometimes people expect me to open my home up like a low-rent petting zoo for everyone’s kids. That’s where my father and I diverge in our methodology. He invites people to drive through his property to see his obsession. I’m content to maintain my paranoia and only share curated snippets online.

Still, I need some sort of justification for this massive project. I am hemorrhaging money, and every misstep is expensive. Somehow, in the pursuit of peace of mind, I have made the exact opposite. A good idea turns into an overwhelming project quicker than I’d like to admit. I’m over my head currently, treading water. I have faith that in the end it will be awesome, and you, the internet people, may also find joy in what I’ve created. I’m cool if you don’t care, too.

When things are in order and the room is functioning like the automated machine I’ve created, it brings me overwhelming calm. Building terrariums and watching animals thrive makes me feel like I’m walking within my specific, weird calling. Having a curated jungle in my basement helps to reaffirm my pursuit of wonder, and the trip down the stairs is much shorter than a plane ride to the tropics.

I am also planning to revamp my old YouTube channel, Catching Creation, and I want to start shooting new videos in the field to share my passion for local wildlife once again. I’ve missed it. Along with pursuits in swamps and ridgelines, I’d like to start using my newly renovated basement as a backdrop for tutorials about this weird world of herpetoculture that I’ve been a part of for most of my life. I feel like I’m at my happiest when I’m teaching about things I’m passionate about. Whether that is me in front of a camera holding some writhing amphibian in its natural habitat, or showcasing a new vivarium I’ve built, I do enjoy sharing this world with you all.

On that note, if you’d like to learn about what animals I’m working with, or if you’re interested in a specific region or species in North Carolina, shoot me a message and I’ll try to make a video this year. Currently, I’m gearing up to film winter breeding amphibians in the next week or so, since many have awakened and filled me with joy by their ditch-side calls. Despite how crazy I feel amid this project and the potential film projects, I’m as happy as I’ve been in a while. There’s just something about having a mission to complete that makes me feel like life makes sense. Thanks for reading these weekly introspections, and I hope this one isn’t too niche.

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Stan Lake is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in Bethania, North Carolina. His work has appeared in Dead Reckoning Collective, The Havok Journal, Reptiles Magazine, Lethal Minds Journal, and other outlets, and he directed Hammer Down, a documentary about his 2005 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with Alpha Battery 5-113th of the North Carolina Army National Guard. For The Havok Journal, he often writes essays and reflections about war memory, veteran life, the outdoors, and everyday experience. You can find his books, collected works, and social media at www.stanlakecreates.com.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.