I have had a very domesticated weekend, which is unusual for me. I'm not much for the cleaning and cooking and stuff. I do what I have to do to avoid living in squalor and starving, but I'm not dedicated to the domestic arts. I am of the opinion that there is almost always a more enjoyable and life-enhancing way to use my spare time.
But you know, I actually feel really pleased with my efforts this weekend. I've grocery shopped, cooked food for my lunches during the week, had a mini-spring clean, ironed clothes that have been sitting in my ironing basket for months, taken up a hem by hand on a new pair of trousers, mended the hems on several other pairs of pants, washed and folded my laundry (including sheets and dooner cover) and made my bed both days.
I actually feel a sense of achievement, which scares me a little bit. How can I be so easily pleased by such mundane things? Things I don't even like doing? Domestic drudgery, for god's sake! Am I that small minded?
Apparently, yes. It is nice knowing my flat is clean. It is nice knowing I can reach into my wardrobe and find that pink shirt to wear to work next week. It is nice not leaving a new pair of work trousers in the wardrobe for months until I get around to having them taken up. It is nice actually doing the job myself. It is nice knowing that my work trousers are looking a little bit smarter than they have been (even if no one notices). It is nice to have a fresh doona cover on my bed, all my clothes washed and neatly folded and put away ready for the week ahead. It is nice having something different and tasty to eat which I made myself from scratch (even if it's only because of this allergy elimination diet I'm on which virtually precludes eating anything that isn't homemade).
It probably isn't that small-minded really. It's not just that I enjoy everything looking neat and clean and organised - I actually get a real feeling of being in control when everything in my living space is in order. An orderly physical environment seems to clear a little psychic clutter as well, and that's always a good thing.
It's also the case that I wrote a to-do list this weekend - as I do nearly every weekend (yes, I know) - and most of the tasks I completed were on that list. If you've been reading this for a while, you will know I love crossing jobs off my to-do list.
And anyway, even if it is small minded to some, I believe it's far easier to be happy when you can derive satisfaction and pleasure from the unremakable events and activities of every day life. Which is the idea that underpins this whole blog!
4 comments:
I'm a big fan of the to do list as well. In fact, I'm a big fan of lists in general. I have so many lists, I need a list for them!
Hey. Have you ever visited www.listography.com? You can make your own lists of anything (even a list of lists) and then cross them off when you're done. It's great.
Taking up pants hey? Can I give you a couple of pairs? ;) Tidying up and dealing with things that have been sitting around for a while can leave me with a good feeling. It's not small-minded to feel that it's all a job well done.
I actually feel somehow slightly freer/lighter when I've cleared away something that's been sitting around for a while, whether it's a bag of random stuff or a pile of papers. Throwing out a bunch of old stuff can be really good, too. I especially like clearing away clutter that's in a room I'm in often. Makes the whole place seem less cramped and more open, somehow. (Hopefully that all made sense: I'm a bit tired at the moment. :) )
well done you ! I have cleared out the guest room, the sewing room, living room, and car garage/storage shed. A ute load to the tip, a car full to the op shop. New curtains, cushions and light fittings all round and a new sofa.Wherever I look, it pleases me, what a great feeling ! I think it is constant visual, positive reinforcement,"look at what you did, what you made,what you achieved" that is what you get from all this activity and you know exactly what you are eating.
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