I'm freakily obsessed with cleaning. Part of it is because I'm hyper sensitive to smells, especially those remotely resembling smoke, dust, staleness, old food (smells I think most people are/ should be hyper sensitive to). My obsession is also, in part, to the hope cleaning offers.
Weird, right? Hope in cleaning?
When I clean, dust transforms to glean, smells are eradicated, and an innate freshness fills the air. The same space that was previously dirty is restored. It reminds me of the way people can be restored. We're all born, more or less, the same. We can eat, pee, poop, cry, and sleep. Occasionally, we can coo too. Somehow, though, per the environment in which we live, the family in which were born into, we change into wildly different people. Differences in demeanor, personality, interests, are all grand things that contribute to a fluid society. Differences in opportunity are injustices that result in clusters of broken communities, a break in humanity.
This is where Saturday morning cleaning translates to human hope. Internally, we're all in need of some sort of cleanse, a dusting of our privilege coupled with our desires, a wash of our impatience,and an uncovering of the kindness we're inherently meant to express. Internal cleaning aids in uncovering our place in creating a fluid Universal community, a place where differences in opportunity simply aren't. I reckon there's a degree of dirty in all of us, a restored self seeking.
And when we, as individuals, are restored, we, as humanity, are a little bit cleaner too, a little bit closer to love.
OMGosh. I understand what you are saying but when Oprah put it in a way that said, "if you hoard, etc. you have an illness - well, I just do not like that comment because.... My mom was a clean "specialist" - Sat. morning, we could not leave the house until... (did you get this from your mom too?!!), my sister Lana is a clean "specialist". If you came to my house you would think I am a clean "specialist" - cuz I do like the outside of my house to look like I am a cleaner, so I mow, water my flowers, etc. BUT I am not a cleaner. If I did not have Ruby - well, my house would be "black lab dog" hair free - but I love to have Ruby in the house. So maybe an intervention is in the horizon for me and Sunny, cuz, my daughter may have learned some of these skills (or lack of skills) from me. Nick - well - time will tell! You are welcome to come to my house anytime, Natalie. I will have something for you to do (lol)
ReplyDeleteYes I love a good clean house and I hate bad smells, especially cleaning products! The solution is vinegar! I clean everything with vinegar, baking soda and tea tree oil or eucalyptus oil. Thanks for sharing!
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