As a child… I often heard… “Clean your room!” I rarely did though. I preferred My room a bit on the messy side… I was always able to find things, because I remembered where I dropped them. Most of My possessions that were meaningful were either by the side of the bed, or just beyond the door. You could tell what path I took through the house because of the line of items left on the path. My jacket on one place, books in another, still another was My shirt, shoes in another place, and finally… Me….
I am not a neat person by any means, but I dont tolerate messiness in My home. My wife is a very good person when it comes to cleaning.. she knows I am a pig, and leaves My office to Me to clean.. until today. She called to say she was cleaning My office… imagine My panic… I would never again be able to find things… things would be put away where they belong.. I would lose the hunt for tools, and shoes… My dirty clothes, glasses, soda cans, and plates would all be removed and sent to the kitchen, laundry, or closet…. I would be lost… worst of all.. she would organize My desk… what a panic… I was almost in a sweat. I had visions of everything I have carefully placed being put in numbered files or worse…by alphabetical order…. I have a unique filing system… OTD/OTF….
If I want it.. its On The Desk… or On The Floor….. just like when I was a kid…
Sad thing is… the acorn doesnt fall far from the oak tree… My elder son is showing defiinte signs of being a bigger pig than I am. I at least pick up My clothes, put them in the basket, and have begun to put dirty dishes in the dishwasher… but My son seems to think that dishes dont need to be done until you run out of them…. his clothes are all over the floor, along with his computer, headphones, and a menagarie of other items that need to be put away somewhere. Hard part is… his idea of putting things away… is stuffing them under his bed… Ive made it clear that I will not stand for this. We have 3 children coming to expand our family… and I will NOT have that as an example of how we live. Big brother.. .and dad… will have to clean up their acts… I am already working on it.. he has a long way to go. He has no choice but to clean up his room… or I have told him… its either My way… or your way in your own home…. but it wont be his way in MY home…. after all… I PAY THE MORTGAGE!!!! Today I put in a big screen television… Im one of the last to own one… but I did get it mounted on the wall… and right away.. the elder son thinks he is going to put his playstation on MY television…. Aint happening…. I dont want more crap to fall over in MY family room… he can keep his games up in his room and keep them on his television… My house.. My rules… DAMN Im sounding like My father… I understand now where dad was coming from. I get older and I find I cant stand the mess and clutter that the younger ones live in… when I was living at home, I paid room and board.. and it bought Me a bed, and laundry washed. I had an occasional meal at home, but being a truck driver, I often had to eat on the road….
Its amazing how our worlds have changed… Our children seem to have more freedoms, and easier going parents than we had… but there comes a time when we have to draw the line… Im nearing that point with the older son. He is welcome to live with us, but has to follow MY rules… I had to follow My dads rules… it is the same in My home….
Im not busting his butt today because he got sick this morning… slipped in the mess from getting sick, and did the splits…. needless to say… he is in a LOT of pain…. but he has been told that his mess WILL be cleaned regardless of how bad his groin hurts… he can sit and clean… just like I do in My office… but his mess will be cleaned… there is no maybe or way out of it.. its either clean it up.. or find a place to live where you can live like a pig. I love My son very much… but its nearing the time for that tough love…. unless of course he cleans his room and is stays clean.
Oh yes… THATS gonna happen….
we shall see… we shall…..
until then…. or until tomorrow…
peace
MJ
