Chores

Yeppers, I said chores. The definition of a chore according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary is:

Definition of chore

1: chores plural: the regular or daily light work of a household or farm

2: a routine task or job: The children were each assigned household chores.

3: a difficult or disagreeable task: doing taxes can be a real chore

Anything can become a chore. I got to thinking about this as I was washing dishes earlier. The act of washing dishes felt like a true chore to me at the time which I found amusing since I, once upon a time that is, taught people how to change their mind sets and turn a chore into something else.

I once dedicated a short story to this concept I titled Erotic Dishes. I grew fascinated by the idea a person could take an onerous task and turn it into something completely satisfying.

Take washing dishes and turn it into an unforgettable erotic experience. Make going grocery shopping a joyful event. Turn your worst chore into something you wanted to do and not something you simply had to do.

Well, time has gone on since then. Over a decade and I find myself once again in the chore mode. What’s that? It is simple really. It is the mindset that you must face your drudgery and get it done regardless of the fact you hate doing it.

Yep, I have become one of those dreary types who puts it off until it can’t be avoided any longer simply because I have built up a mindset which dictates I won’t enjoy it. Which is total crap.

We all have chores we must accomplish to keep our lives the way we want them to be. I know we all wish we possessed enough money to hire people to do all our chores for us. However, if we eliminate our normal chores then other things become chores to us.

I found it fascinating to watch a reality television show where men swapped wives for a week. The very first episode had a poor woman and a rich woman swap places.

It was fascinating to watch this poor woman, who worked her butt off with her husband, go through withdrawals over spooning time with her kids. Her kids were the center of her world whereas the rich woman spent very little time with her own, entrusting her children to nannies. Spending time with her children had become a chore.

I watched the entire episode which is unusual for me and reality television. I abhor reality television. However, as much as I hate it, I believe they have a right to produce it.

I didn’t watch any other episodes. The one was enough for me. It also left an impression on me since I felt I understood the poor couple and their horrific reactions to the way their counter parts live.

Their counterparts believed what the poor couple enjoyed were chores. And they avoided chores with a passion. Avoided each other as well it seemed.

For me to have become ensconced in an attitude towards chores as something to hate has truly brought me around. I realize how many other actions I now consider to be chores as well.

You know what I mean. Sure, housework is a chore for my wife Yvonne and I to accomplish but we live in a small cottage like house. It doesn’t take much for us to maintain it. Nor does it take much to maintain the exterior if I work at it.

It all comes down to attitude. I simply haven’t wanted to do any of it, and it has shown in the way our house looks both inside and out. I have allowed this to happen not only to the standard actions in my life but to this blog as well.

That last statement is a bit on the ironic side. See, I enjoy writing about most anything. I enjoy reading in the same eclectic manner. My music choices match my desire to listen to not only what I liked in the past but to open myself up and listen to what is new.

I have always tried to maintain an attitude where I am open to most new things. However, when you define the actions you must do to maintain your life in the manner you desire as chores, that attitude breeds into everything else. Especially as you get older.

Yep, I went there. As I get older, I find my mind closing somewhat. Find myself rejecting ideas I once would have jumped for joy over. We all get tired. It is inevitable that we all get to the point we don’t want to do things like washing dishes. We even get to the point we don’t want to do them even if our significant other offers to help us do them while naked.

I find I must fight that part of me which becomes grumpier than all get out. That part that only wants to lie in a hammock, eat potato chips and drink ice cold Coke while reading a good book with my wife lying next to me.

It’s perfectly okay to do such a thing. However, I find I don’t enjoy it if my house is a wreck. I grew up like so many others where you couldn’t go off and do what you wanted until your chores were done. In fact, our Saturday mornings when I was a kid was cartoons, breakfast then chores. No excuses or exceptions.

It gave us a sense of what was acceptable to live like. We were poor but so was everyone around us, so it didn’t matter. What did matter was being poor white trash. Being labeled poor white trash was totally unacceptable.

Which meant you did your chores. You kept your house maintained even if you had dirt floors. You kept yourself maintained as well. Chores were important then.  An essential part of our lives even if we hated them.

Now? Well, you tell me. Do you turn your chores into things you can enjoy, or do you force yourself into accomplishing them?

I’m Ross, the Editor-in-Chief at The Pyrateheart Press and I’m out.