It's funny that while scrubbing the kitchen floor one can start to get a little philosophical. With all that's in the news we wonder why we fight wars we may never win, where even winning is not really winning. I know it doesn't quite compare, but this is how I feel about dirt. You see you can fight dirt with all the cleansers, sponges, sprays and mops in the world but you will NOT win. Dirt comes back. Dirt may let you win the battle, but it will never let you win the war. This is why having scrubbed the kitchen floor until it shines you have to leave the house just so it might just stay that way a little longer. Stick around and that kitchen floor will be mocking you in no time. I have found this to be a condition even more true since living with Sean. I clean, and he reverses my efforts. It's inevitable.
Then you have laundry - and with laundry there is no finish line. There is no such thing as not having laundry to do. You can wash every article of clothing, every sheet and towel in the house, but unless you plan to take up nudism, the clothes you are wearing will become "laundry" just as soon as you take them off.
And there are no solutions to this dilemma. Turn on the TV and you are inundated with ads for the latest in cleaning products, but no one has yet to come up with anything that will keep the dirt away. There are "no-iron" shirts (ha ha what a laugh), but there aren't any "no-wash" items on the market (unless you count "dry-clean only"). There is no spray that will repel spills from marring your just-cleaned counter top. Sure there are these new teflon sprays out there, but even if the dirt slides off it still has to go somewhere -- and now you're just back to wiping the floors again.
So the question is why bother?
All I can come up with is that there is a certain je ne sais pas about a shiny-sparkly neat and tidy house, no matter how fleeting the moment is, that is ever so enjoyable to behold while enjoying a good cup of coffee. Of course once the coffee is finished, you have dishes to deal with, but by now you know where I am going with this. That's right, exactly nowhere.
Lastly I feel the need to make a statement regarding Sean's last entry. I want to clarify that I do not campaign for birthday gifts a year in advance. I give my beloved friends and family about six weeks notice so that they will remember to call or send a card and IF they should feel inclined to send a pretty package tied up with string. I have yet to make out a wish list. I just felt the need to make this clarification, although I know most of you are just laughing now anyways.
Posted by mrivinus at June 5, 2004 01:47 PM