Thursday, August 24, 2006
Why I Watch the Mary Tyler Moore Show
I have to admit a slight fascination with a certain type of woman. This woman always leaves a space tidier than she found it. She organizes her files neatly and her pens match. She has a tidy desk, clean car and a meticulous apartment. Her hair, make-up and clothes are well thought out and always neatly presented. Her casual Friday outfits are more fashionable than my job interview outfits. She works efficiently and never has a bad word for anyone, let alone a cuss word. She sips wine and eats in small bites. In short, she is Mary Richards.
I'm more of the type who leaves a trail of books, papers, socks, coffee cups and general chaos wherever I've been. I eat and drink like a starving wolf. I can clean up pretty well, but only if I have somewhere special to be. Otherwise, my style can be described as "cleanish and top of the pile." So when I’ve come across these kinds of women in real life, I am a bit in awe. Oh, I know that’s unfashionable. But I think of her as the exact opposite of me, which makes her an alien species worth studying.
My parents had five kids and when Mom left, it was down to Dad for the next eight years until he remarried. He was always busy with overtime service work and we didn’t know anything about housecleaning. Didn’t want to know. It’s almost as though the sheer chaos was part of the rebellion and anger. I went into young adulthood with no skills and thinking that women who had it together were obviously repressed.
I’m changing my mind as I get older. I don’t know specifically about these women, they’re probably each different and all have their own problems. But I am inspired by their efficient energy. I’m willing to let the dog get prints on the couch and I don’t mind if there are socks lying around. But I’m getting less and less patient about disorganization (just because I’m currently disorganized doesn't mean I’m not thinking about not being, Trevor. So hush.)
This isn’t a man / woman thing. He walks in the door and starts picking things up as he goes, a habit that is truly on my list of things to remember to do. There is something highly meditative and satisfying about putting one’s home in order, going to bed with a clean kitchen. Folding the laundry so it doesn’t sit in a molding pile on the floor for weeks and weeks and weeks (who, me?).
But I still think Rhoda was prettier.
posted by Working From Home Today
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