I made a disturbing discovery a week or so ago. I would have blogged about it earlier, but I've been busy hacking up a lung and blowing (or helping others to blow) noses with a really disgusting frequency. But we are gradually returning to the land of the living and freely breathing, so here I am again.
And here is my discovery: one's own personal grime is largely invisible. I have more thoughts, if you'd care to read on...
Here's what happened. I was trying to wash an enormous collection of dishes and had (stupidly I'll grant you) propped a cutting board up against the toaster oven to get it out of the way. Instead of cooperating, it slid, as I should have known it would, and knocked a glass off the counter, narrowly missing Matthew's head. The glass shattered into a zillion tiny shards and luckily Tim was home to scoop the shoeless infant boy out of the wreckage (and also to bring me my shoes). So I picked up the biggest pieces and hauled out the vacuum cleaner to get the rest.
But here's the weird part. As I was vacuuming the kitchen, I suddenly realized how incredibly dirty the floor really was! All the corners had crumbs in them and dust bunnies were thinking about multiplying -- in my kitchen! In broad daylight! And I hadn't even NOTICED them before that moment!
So I walked around the house, eyes suddenly open to the incredible amounts of dirt we're living with every day -- not just stacks of stuff, though there are plenty of those, especially on all the high surfaces out of Destructo-Boy's reach -- but fluff in the corners and crumbs on the floor. Maybe it's the difference of suddenly having hardwood floors. Carpet hides a multitude of sins -- but whatever it is, I just can't keep up with this impending avalanche of grime and I want to understand why I just plain didn't notice it before.
Is it protective denial? I know I can't keep up, so my eyes just don't register anymore? Have I lived in grime so long that I can't even recognize it anymore? Does this happen to other people? Insanity is creeping in. But suddenly!
Ugh. I have more dishes to wash and bills to pay. I'm outta here. But let me know if you're living in squalor too, okay? It'll make me feel better.
if we had a dog, I'm sure it would be sick. If not, it would be washing the dishes. Somebody needs to wash them. Really. I'm taking volunteers.
I'm sorry there hasn't been more action here. The computer screen gives me a headache like you wouldn't believe. I have a sinus infection, accompanied by coughing which may (or may not) be the same walking pneumonia my kids have. Tim still refuses to go to the doctor. He doesn't get sick. Yeah right.
Anyway, we are all coughing and wheezing and sound like death in the microwave and it's highly unpleasant all around. Except the kids are in their usual high spirits. Which is great, except I'm not and a little lethargy would be a nice matching effect I have to say. We're on TV day number four tomorrow, because I can't muster much more than that right now. Forgive me. Please.
Don't give up on me, loyal readers, and I'll be back in a more witty frame of mind next week at least. I have stuff to blog about, but this damned thing really does hurt my eyes. Going to bed now.
I hope you are all well. And stay that way. Because this crap sucks.