An Ode to Domestic Engineers

Christmas vacation started for me on Monday.

I'll let you know when it starts feeling like a vacation.

Naturally, since I'm home, my parents expect me to take care of the household duties: dishes, laundry, maintaining the house etc. 

I can't remember ever being this exhausted. 

My monday began with a hard scrub-down of both bathrooms, a vacuuming of all carpeted surfaces, a scrub-down of the kitchen, the dishes, laundry, and cooking. 

On Tuesday I got a bit of a reprieve and outlined some of the chapters from my Chemistry book.

And today, I ran errands all day, and did the dishes for what felt like 500 times to prepare dinner for tonight, and once again cleaned up after that. 

I cannot convey to you the frustration that comes from seeing a filthy kitchen floor that I scrubbed on my hands and knees only two days ago.  

I. Am. Exhausted. 

My mother today told me that her mother kept an immaculate house, cooked three meals a day (from scratch nonetheless), did all the dishes, did the laundry for 4 children and a husband, hand-embroidered the names of all the children into the backs of their gym clothes, pressed everyone's clothes, and not to mention: held a full time job. 

I don't know how the woman did it. 

I mean, although I got a lot accomplished today, I still have an enormous pile of clothes to do tomorrow, and though I cooked today, I can tell you it wasn't all from scratch.

Dirty dishes sit in the sink as I write this. I just can't bring myself to do one more set of dishes.

And I don't even have little ones to chase or worry about.

Whoever said that being a "stay at home mom" was easy, needs to be shot. 

I can't imagine what this would be like if I had to prepare meals, snacks, clean up after, fix cuts and scrapes, give attention, play with, and take care of children. If you have children, that is a responsibility that cannot be ignored. With the exception of taxes and my health, everything else in my life can be put off: homework, bills, appointments, laundry, the list goes on and on. But a screaming child in need cannot be ignored. 

Not to mention, it's quite lonely. 

I don't want to imagine what it would be like doing this all day every day with no intelligent conversation or adult interaction. It's almost unbearable not to have people around just to feel their presence and create a break in the loneliness. 

I raise my glass to all domestic engineers, you are often what makes a family function and you deserve more respect. 

Working Class

Before I delve into some of the more controversial subjects that I want to touch on, I am first going to talk about something a little lighter, but that I feel strongly about nonetheless.

The working class.

Anytime I hear the phrase "the little people", I just want to scream.

Although many people seek the company and friendship of the doctors and lawyers of the world (and yes they do have their place), it is the "little people" that make the world go 'round.

Take a moment and look around you, look at the floor, the walls, the items within your room. Though they may have been designed by the scientists, and engineers, and architects, those things which you are surrounded by were made by the hands of the working class.

If I were to enter a building where the CEO felt it was only necessary to hire doctors, lawyers, and the "higher-ups" of the world. I'm almost positive it would be a rather unpleasant place. Because if you stop to think about it, without any janitors, it would be filthy, and without anyone working the switchboard, how effective would communication be? And without anyone working in the mail-room, would anyone ever receive their notices?

So my next part is about respect for the working class, someone who works 12 hours a day in a mill is just as important as the neurosurgeon in Children's Hospital. So, a little respect please?

The next time you are in the theatre, or at church, or a restaurant, or what have you, please clean up after yourself. I guarantee you the janitors work many hours a day for very low wages, and it is not necessary for you to make their job harder when it takes you the 5 seconds to throw your trash away.

Thoughts?

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