Chores

 

Chores

 

Taking the full garbage bag from underneath the sink out to the garbage can in the garage, I was struck by the thought that I’ve been doing this for seventy some years. Why that random thought? Well, some of the things I do, I do on auto pilot. The daily routine of household chores is an integral part of my life.

 

As I write these words, I hear my mother’s commanding voice, “Daniel, how many times do I have to tell you. Take out the garbage!” Not that doing it took such exertion. It was such a bother to be told you had to do this or else. Little did I realize that the routine of garbage handling was a building block of my character.

 

The truth is I continue to do many of the chores from childhood. Cleaning up after myself, hauling my dirty clothes from the bathroom to the laundry room, making the bed, hanging up my clothes, clearing dishes from the dining room table and putting them in the dishwasher to name a few.

 

Yard work chores haven’t changed much either. Even though we live in an HOA community, I am still raking the lawn, hand mowing a small patch of grass by the patio, trimming the hedge and my favorite: picking up dog poop. All those domestic skills I learned as a child under the watchful eyes of my parents.

 

Although I tried to pass the discipline of chores unto my children, I don’t know how successful I’ve been. Nobody seems interested in picking up dog poop anymore. When the grandkids come over for a visit, I invite them to help me in this yard chore, but I get no takers. I wonder what their back yard looks like.

 

A big thanks to mom and dad for teaching me the discipline of daily domestic chores. Those daily jobs are no longer chores. They are integral part of life. I have to say, my wife and dog are grateful. What else can one ask for.

Doggie Dodo Detail

Doggie Dodo Detail

Believe it or not, I have a story about doggie dodo. It may not rank high on stimulating and edifying blog topics. However, I have observed in life that the simple and mundane are often the most poignant teachers. I must have a gift in this area because nobody else I know is talking about it.

Growing up in a household of seven siblings, my parents and grandmother, there were many opportunities to experience the simple and mundane. We were a typical Catholic family that attended Mass on Sunday and said our prayers before meals and at bedtime. Each of us was assigned chores to help spread the workload and maintain some level of orderliness.

Besides keeping my room clean, taking turns setting the table, doing dishes and taking out the garbage, my brother and I were charged with cleaning up after our dogs. Of all the chores I disliked the most, it was the doggie dodo detail. I could never understand why my sisters were exempt from this job. They wanted the dogs and played with them just as much as we did. When I complained to my father about this gender inequity, he reminded me that this was man’s work!

I soon learned this was a thankless job. Nobody complimented me on what a good job I did. In the summer, it was hot and stinky. In the winter I pulled a toboggan with a garbage can on it, scrapping up frozen doggie dodo. I finally found out where where all that dog food went.

After a year of this, I approached my father and asked him why we couldn’t hire somebody to do this thankless job. His answer is forever etched in my mind. He said, “The doggie dodo detail is character building and your character needs building! On top of that this is good experience for later in life when you have to deal with other people’s dodo.”

All these years later, I am still on the doggie dodo detail. Nobody else volunteers, so I am still scooping it up. I trust that this job has developed my character and taught me something about dealing with other people’s dodo. Thanks Dad for the wise counsel and experience.