Friday, February 01, 2008

If Writing were Boring, My House Would be Tidy

The trouble with housework is that it is so boring. The same loo to clean over and over again. The same clothes to fold and put away. The same hoover sucking up an endless supply of Cheerios.

I know I should take pride in my home - I am lucky enough to have a nice one that doesn't leak - but, oh, the drudgery of keeping it clean (let alone tidy). Himself, who is repsonsible for manly things like building patios, doesn't see the problem. He doesn't realise that once he's finished the patio, he gets to stand back and admire it. He never has to do it again. He's never imagined having to get down and mortar those paving slabs every day for the rest of his life.

I am always craving the time to write, to be creative, to make something new, something I can stand back from and admire. Something that I can finish. I do stall sometimes when I'm writing; I get the occasional, "I can't do this. I'm fed up," but that's only because I can't do it, not because I don't want to do it. I never find myself saying, "Oh, I've had enough of this, I'd so much rather be ironing."

I sometimes wonder how long I would have to write, before I got bored with it.

10 comments:

Jen said...

I don't think men get it at all, do they?

My so-called lovely bf is feeling pleased with himself today as he has just had a Waitrose delivery, um, delivered.

2 bottles of wine, 1 pizza (for him), 1 small box of chips (his fave). This was to save me shopping (for him, I presume).

Sadly, I cleaned all the kitchen worktops this morning so I can't even give those a bit of a lick for sustenance.

Sigh. I might do the hoovering - then he'll know I'm in a REALLY bad mood...

HelenMWalters said...

I know, I know, I know! I sometimes wonder what I used to do with all that time before I discovered writing!

Charlotte said...

You are describing my life! It is the repetitiousness of housework that renders it so dull. I try to make it exciting by ignoring it for as long as I can, and then doing it with surges of adrenaline, but even that doesn't really work.

Writing is indeed much more fun.

Lane Mathias said...

Oooh you've swapped sides. Weren't you a leftie before? (template)

The trouble with repetitive jobs is that they suck the life out of you. Writing hasn't done that yet.

Bored of writing, bored of life (or was that London?)

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I love the Waitrose delivery! I also can't imagine what I filled my time with before writing. I did used to watch soaps on tv and gave that up - don't think I've missed much either.

Leigh Forbes said...

Jen - Judging by how much help is required for someone in this house to arrange a supermarket delivery, to have it turn up unassisted would be quite an achievement [Sigh].

Helen - And, so, what did you do with it?

Charlotte - Great surges of adrenaline? That's sounds great. I can never feel anything but the most extreme form of despair.

Lane - Leftie/Rightie? Yes, I fancied a change! Repetitive work? Yes, of course, it's that I did all this yesterday (and the day before, etc.), and now I'm having to do it again, but I've got a brain the size of a planet...

Debs - Oh, Yes, I used to watch a lot of crap TV. I'd forgotten that! God, all those hours... [face freezes with appalled look].

Karen said...

That's my problem exactly with housework! You can't just do it say, twice a year, then get on with the good stuff. Mind you, I stopped ironing for hours on end a good few years ago. Everyone does their own as they need it these days. Helps a lot :)

Jill Steeples said...

Housework is so over-rated, I think, Leigh. And self-defeating too. I mean you go to all that trouble of hoovering, dusting and changing the bed linen and then in another nine months, it all needs doing again.

Caroline said...

Hi.
Just popping in to say helloooo and that it was lovely meeting you last night.

And yes - I know indeed! I so agree with this post!

Leigh Forbes said...

Karen - You can't just do it twice a year? Oh...
Ironing?

Maddie - ha ha ha ha ha! (A bit close to home in this house!)

Hello Caroline, welcome to my blog! Yes, it was nice to meet you too, and I didn't catch the swearing. Perhaps you could do it on mike next time!