40 Pieces of Wisdom for Lent from my Inner Children — Day 5/40 — ri.chard the cleaner
You might think that because I’m a cleaner that I’m against taking risks. Quite the contrary. If we never take risks, I never have anything to clean up! If we never try new things, we never grow. I am tidy, but also love to learn.
The art of cleaning is a lot like anything else. It depends on the level of your commitment to the art, and how much you’re going to give from your personal energy stores. I find doing dishes to be quite a zen activity. I can clear my mind and think of nothing else. Things pop in and out, and depending on my intention, I may block the thoughts or entertain them. An attention to detail is one of my biggest strengths though. This is both a blessing and a curse.
My friend tommy likes to make intentional messes. Stomping in rain puddles, painting with fingerpaints, playing with his mashed potatoes during dinner. I can handle those sorts of messes. The Librarian occasionally has piles and piles of papers that are all over the place. I really just want to shove them to the floor and sweep them up. She does try so hard, but sometimes the papers overwhelm her, the poor lass.
My favorite way to clean is to turn on some music, and do a solo conga line around and around until the room is spotless. Once I’m done, I relax with a nice cup of something warm, usually tea but occasionally coffee with a splash of cream. It’s perfection. Sardines on toast are a great snack.
I will say this, my family here gives me plenty to do. I will never be out of a job. Not everyone can say that. It would be nice to have a day off now and then, but where would I go? What would I do? I’d probably just clean someone else’s stuff. Maybe take a Marie Kondo class somewhere. Maybe a nice CSI convention? Read some British or Swedish murder mysteries… while in England or Sweden! I’ll have to give it some thought. For now, I’m still on the job 24/7.
Bring on the coffee!
