Housework in old age—a poem
Why do (other) people neglect housework in old age? Why do old people neglect home maintenance?
Many abandon housework in their later years.
(Not you, of course.) Be tolerant.
Maybe they’re low on energy
maybe their poor old knees are sore
or they don’t have strength
in their hands any more.
Maybe they simply fail to see
the blackened cups, the sticky floors
the crumbs and dust and animal hair
or maybe they honestly don’t care.
As Quentin Crisp declared,
after the first four years
the dirt doesn’t get any worse.
Rachel McAlpine — feel free to share
See also: Home maintenance in old age
not that having a clean home is not important, we learn to realize it is not as important as we thought it was.
Yes, isn’t it lucky that that we gain in nonchalence what we lose in energy as time goes by!
3 questions to ask yourself:
Will it harm me?
Will it harm anyone else?
Does it matter?
If you get 3 NOES
Sit down and read a book.
Nevertheless I hope it doesn’t happen to me, or that daughters or cleaners come to the rescue every few weeks. Note to self: be nice to said daughters.
I recommend daughters too.
I’m saving all the work for the heirs.
What fun they’ll have.
Love the poem but you wouldn’t know that by my wife. Consequently, since ‘stuff’ flows downhill, I work at (or, am told to work at) keeping up with housework. Beds made, floors cleaned, counter top spotless and uncluttered (only a mixer and coffee pot), sink empty and no water spots …I could go on but I rest my laurels…or, sore joints!
So, pretty much a normal household then. Time for a break.
hahaha . Loved that! Dust will always return so why disturb it? Thanks for following my blog.
Housework and over-cleanliness is over-rated. Keep everything reasonable but there are far more important things to spend your time doing and nothing stays clean for long so not worth stressing about.
And walk away 🙂
For three days before every Bridge party my wife hosts we labor to clean and polish the house. One time I asked her, “What kind of friends come into your home and do a White Glove inspection?” Getting no answer I went back to polishing the cabinets.
Your wife is using an ancient esoteric women’s system. It works.
I strive for a modicum of tidy and a minimum of sneezing.
Perfect.
I tidy before guests arrive. I clean after guests leave…
Perfect.