A day linked to the past

The night is quiet, the brat off to sleep (unusually early) and the husband not in town. I can finally sit down to write something. With the husband travelling, the day seemed to stretch like an elastic. I had official work to do but was in no mood to write. The creative juices seemed to be on some strike too. Talk about ironies in life. The brat also seemed very bored and kept popping (the same) questions every 5 minutes in the time I decided to write something. 


Loved this!!! courtesy:pinterest.com
Since nothing better was being churned out in front of the computer, I decided to do the next best thing- tick off some long pending house work. I cleaned R's closet and mine. Oh! the satisfaction. Before you pass me off as someone with OCD, let me tell you this was totally unlike me many years ago. Each time, I clean up the cupboards, my past (it really feels like another lifetime) flashes by where I can almost hear my mother yelling her head off at me for being so clumsy, untidy, disorganized and lazy. 

Yes, I was the black sheep of the family. We had a shelf or two allocated for each of us in the clothes cupboard and mine would be messiest. You open the door and an avalanche of assorted things would be at your feet. Ditto with the books cabinet. I would rummage the shelves-like a dog would a garbage bin to find food-to search for my lost tie, sock, scarf, books, even the precious journal that would have to be submitted the next day.

I think my mother had almost given up on me. She'd finally set upon herself to organize the shelves and cabinet when I never yielded to any of her pleading, cajoling, and finally threats. I was also super thick-skinned then. I started to organize my things myself when I was older but never got around maintaining the shelves in the same manner. 

However, cut to the present- I cannot tolerate messy and unorganized surroundings. Things need to put away as soon as possible (there has to be a sense of order at least on the surface ;-)). I may not be able to maintain the orderliness of the closets but I get a sense of urgency the minute they are in a mess and get to organizing them soon after. Contrary to what my folks or even I, for that matter, thought about my housekeeping skills, I have surprised myself (and them, I think)  into not having a household that has a caved-in look. I may still not be the most organized person, yet I have as sense of discipline. 

Is it some dormant gene that decided to make an appearance late in life? Perhaps it has also to do with the fact that now I know that if I don't do it, nobody will and I have realized that I do prefer a tidy environment.

17 comments:

  1. I did a whole lot of spring cleaning sorts organising yesterday....I bet my parents wouldn't believe it either hehe

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    1. hahaha..what's with parents not believing their lads and lassies could turn over a new leaf!

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  2. You sound like the voice in my head... :) I was like you...I can hear my mom's words ringing in my ears even now... But as you have put it...may not be the most organised person but I get tensed up when I see a messy room/cupboard :)
    CHEERS!

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    1. Very true, Me too, I would let mom clean my personal space…and she got me used to clean environment which I try to maintain till today because I cannot stand dirt. In childhood we are pampered and we take so many things for granted, but how we shape our life to make our own life comfortable doing things that’s just right for us.

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    2. @ Swathika and Pushpa: somewhere their sense of orderliness remained with us and surfaced when it was needed, I guess

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  3. When it is our house, we know that we only have to do the cleaning, and the sooner it is done the better for us.
    No use yelling at the kids, they will never listen.

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  4. I too have a messy cupboard most of the times, till I sit and sort it out one fine day. And I can never keep house clean enough for my mother too:)

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    1. aah..mothers set the benchmark too high at times, no?

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  5. Hmm what happens if I was like you describe yourself when a child, and am still the same now ;).. Can you imagine the struggle to maintain the house in a close-to-decent manner, not to mention try to encourage the kids to put away their things. Sigh!

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    1. lol...someone needs to balance it out either way looks like ;-)

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  6. I love cleaning and organizing closets. I love ironing clothes too. It is therapeutic for me. Yes, I border on the OCDish thing there :) BUT that doesn't mean my house is super clean and organized all the time. On some days it looks like as if a hurricane struck the place and I leave it like that till I feel like cleaning up, there I said it! ;)
    And after the kids go to bed early life seems nice!! :)

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    1. oh..you border on OCD..:-)) I do not love these chores but I do feel better after they are done..

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  7. Ha ha ha ha :)

    Lovely post. You know when I was a teen my mom had once threatened me with no new clothes if my cupboard continued to look like a pigsty. And that was the end of shabby cupboards. Since then till now I am meticulous about how my things are arranged in the cupboard..!!

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    1. oh..you seem like a good girl..one threat and you got on to the track..my mother must have used all the possible threats..but I was made of a different material then ;-)

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    2. Good or bad I dont know dear but I was very scared of my mom's threats because she would do what she said...and I wanted new clothes badly!!!!

      :D

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  8. Hey! I thought it's happaning in only some few houses, But it seems to be most of the houses. Itsuma your expression was great!

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  9. that reminded me of my closet! I stilll cannot seem to keep things fold for fold, very neatly. I keep them stacked and in hangers and they are presentable.... but you know, I would love my cupboard to look like that of an OCD's.... :(

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