Is there ever a moment when we finish all our tasks and are free to pursue something fun without feeling guilty?
Such a blink in time might be possible if we moved to an alternate universe. Perhaps there the desired albeit brief freedom from tasks could happen. More than likely, a task-free moment does not exist in the universe of our hatching or any other orderly universe we can imagine. Consequently, we face a lifetime of endless and repetitive tasks. And more often than not, they will seem to be unfinished chores.
Take for example any job, be it management, administrative or sales. If you think that Friday completes your work week and there are free hours looming on your horizon, think again.
On a management level, your job is like a train chugging along the interminable tasks track. As one deal or meeting draws to a close, you can bet there is more of the same in varying stages of completion and necessity waiting for your attention. On the upside which is, in fact, a downer, without the deal train, work would grind to a halt, and that would not be a good thing.
The odd part of the presumed orderly process is there is always some deal that at some point takes on a life of its own and jumps its place in the line demanding immediate attention. The adage “There is no rest for the weary” is a fact in business rather than a mere saying.
What do you suppose would happen if there were no meetings and businesses ran like a true dictatorship? Would decisions be made more quickly than those by committee? Or, would the phrase “Off with their heads!” from the beloved children’s book “Alice in Wonderland” become the operative word of the workday? Hmm. An interesting possibility, as long as you are not the one about to lose your cute head. Oh well, it was just an idea we threw up against the wall. Back to the drawing board.
No matter what position you hold, there is a built in repetitiveness to each task. This sad fact is true when we take into account the daily or weekly chores of the domestic god or goddess. Now we are getting down in the trenches where “No rest for the weary” rules.
Let’s look at cooking and its companion post-cooking-cleanup. For some odd reason, people must eat not just once, but several times a day. Depending on whether the meal is elaborate or simple, the cooking process is similar to putting a male and female rabbit in a cage.
Just like the rabbits, the dirty dishes will multiply with reckless abandon. So for example, cooking the Thanksgiving feast can be catastrophic from the cleanup crew’s perspective. The crew being the domestic god or goddess, whichever draws the short straw, will be unhappy. Pots, pans, and related cooking and chopping paraphernalia rise above the sink’s rim like Godzilla stomping out of the ocean.
Then, the moment the kitchen is sparkling, belts loosen a notch or two and folks wander into the kitchen. And the post-feast grazing begins. Once again the dishes pile up. And no, paper plates are not the answer. Now, do not get all mushy and think it is because of environmental concerns. (Even if that were the case, we would never give you that satisfaction.)
Paper plates and other disposable utensils fill up the trash can. Someone must be conscripted to take out the trash, not just once but several times during the day. It all depends on how much grazing takes place. Did you know hauling trash out of the house to the proper receptacle is cruel and unusual punishment? Particularly when people are overstuffed and find it difficult to waddle from the living room to the kitchen, let alone the trash bin.
The solution: buy a case of Ensure. Share with your guests. The cleanup is minimal, and no antacid is needed.
But wait! The turkey lovers vetoed the idea.