Nov 22, 2015

My Cinderella Complex

Always i have disliked cleaning the bathroom.  But i also like a clean bathroom, so i do it.  For years i never realized there are people who like to clean a bathroom.  Once on a retreat i ended up taking the bathroom cleaning job.  What a look into my own mind!  How angry at having this job, yet believing it was only fair that i took a turn.  How sorry i felt for myself on my hands and knees washing the floor, confused as usual about what product and which rag thing to use on which part of the room.  Only then, when i began mentioning it to people, did i find out some people LIKE this job. So now on retreat i always sign up to chop vegetables, which, because i like it, gives me no insight, but i have no guilt about not taking my turn at the worst job.
At home my method for cleaning is: notice it is needed, and plan it for the next day. Spend the next day thinking i need to now go and clean the bathroom. Late in the day, realize i have not done it and now it is dark and not much day left, grab the cleaning supplies, and do it.  It ends up only taking about 1/2 hour but has used up parts of two days!