I clean.
When stress edges into my day, I
wipe down the countertops. I follow the dog and pluck his fluffs of fur from
the carpet. Manned with a bottle of Windex, I polish and shine every glass
surface of our home.
I clean.
My childhood chores so entrenched
into my lifestyle that discomfort sits in my belly if I don’t fold the throws
and line up the pillows on the couch every morning before heading out for work.
I clean.
Armed with vinegar and bleach,
sponges, toothbrushes and rags, I lay siege to floor grout and countertops,
shower stalls and toilet bowls.
I clean.
And I grumble and mumble. I nag
about the endless tasks that I must tackle day-after-day, week-after-week. You
know the drill. Martyrdom as I bemoan my endless list of duties and try to
guilt others into helping me achieve the unattainable. Perfection.
And so my quest for personal growth
veers into a new direction.
A layer of dust.
A layer of dust settles throughout
the house.
I bite my lip and ignore the urge to
run the cuff of my sleeve around the speakers of my laptop. I force my eyes to
front and center in great effort to walk past the étagère where a dancing figurine
floats in dust motes.
A layer of dust.
And although my willpower currently controls
my urge to wipe every surface clean, I hope to eventually live with less
perfection.
A layer of dust.
And the world hasn’t come to an end.
Copyright 2014 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman
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