I’ve had a life where the women I encounter have been very neat and clean with respect to the way they kept their home, however, I have yet to find a lady who does a great job of washing glasses, dinnerware and silverware. I can hear the ladies, now, saying, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOUR HANDS, MISTER, THAT YOU CAN’T PICK UP A WASH CLOTH? Ladies, I do!
Ever since I was 7 years old dishes have been part of my regimen. Both my parents worked when we were kids, at a time when a mother working was rare and even frowned upon. My job was to do dishes every other week, and with a Marine for a father checking whether the job was done properly, I didn’t get away with murder. If glasses were greasy, and/or silverware crusty, and/or crumbs left on plates, and/or the underside of the plate was dirty, Dad would take those things out of the drainer and call me in to do them over, whether I was sleep, playing with friends, doing homework, watching t.v., whatever! Having my flow interrupted like that led to my becoming an excellent dishwasher, early.
Now, there will be those who say, I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I USE A DISHWASHER. My answer to those folks is, HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AT THE GLASSES, DISHES AND SILVERWARE COMING OUT OF YOUR DISHWASHER? It’s as bad as or worse than the ladies I’ve been discussing regarding washing dishes. By the way, are dishwashers some of the worse germ carriers?
The trials my parents put me through to make me a good dishwasher also led me to discover that they didn’t know how to wash dishes, either. The criteria they were holding my brother and me to, were not the same as those they lived by – know what I’m sayin’? One of the first instances of learning LIFE IS NOT FAIR, BUT BALANCES ITSELF OUT AS TIME GOES BY. It evened itself out with respect to dishwashing by teaching me lessons that were pertainent to the rest of my life.
LESSONS OF DISHWASHING
You often here me say, WE LEARN THROUGH OBSERVATION AND DOING. It’s in the repetition of doing and gauging the results that we become expert at the task. Through this process I discovered the best way to do dishes.
DISHWASHING
I know too many guys don’t know how to wash dishes, but I’m always surprised to discover women who maintain a very clean looking house have dishes that aren’t up to par.
QUESTION EVERYTHING! THAT'S WHERE THE TRUTH RESIDE.
I was taught by my master teacher that life can be learned in observation
of ones work. You just helped reinforce that.
God, I thought my parents were just being plain mean. Later, I learned
they were instilling certain principles in me that would carry me further
in life. You can always tell someone who comes from a disciplined
background. You see it in the way they do things and accomplish things.
It's easy to recognize what I got from my parents in others. I agree with
you - IT'S A TOUCH OF THE MILITARY!
I had to smile when I read this post. Lord how I remember those days of
dish washing when I was a kid, just as you described it! We are of the
same generation and I think that has much to do with it. My spouse is the
same way also.
M.B. it's ironic how our parents did a fairly good job raising us but our
generation didn't do as well with our kids. Raising kids is to prepare
them for the life ahead. Being stewards to them is a crucial job many of
us opted out of, unfortunately. And it shows!