A Sink full of Dishes
The best type of question to start a good debate is one that includes something everyone must endure. If you want to see what a real human face looks like, ask the group what is currently in their kitchen sink. If the participants don’t know because they have the kind of assistance who cleans up for them, exclude them. But everyone else will already be seeing their own kitchen sink as soon as the question is out of your mouth. It is hysterical because they are picturing something real. It actually doesn’t even matter if there is anything in the sink; it is just the absoluteness of the terrifying question. It is a judgement inquiry.
Dirty Dishes
The first gasps and nervous chuckles will come from those who have some dirty dishes stacked there. There is nothing wrong with this picture, but it conjures up more questions about why the dishes were left and not dealt with in a timely fashion. If the sink is overflowing with stacks, there is a whole different scenario at play. The resistance to just rinsing and placing dishes into a nearby dishwasher could appear to be on the lazy spectrum. The larger the stack, the worse the offense. Most homes have automatic dishwashers, and no one is placing the plates in boiling water any longer to clean and rinse. We’ve come a long way baby.
The Dish
The real angst is contained in the mere fact that even the easiest of chores gets postponed until someone gives in and completes the task. In some homes, it is more like a competitive game to see who gets stuck with washing up. In others, it is deemed perfectly acceptable to leave them until a certain stack height is reached. In some homes, the expectation is to take care of the dishes as soon as possible to maintain a certain level of sink respectability. This one chore, that seems so easy, tells a completely different story in every sink. This may be where the term “dishing the dirt” came from. Sharing embarrassing or gossipy remarks would actually be a good way to get through the stack.
The Art of Dishwashing
In times past, home economic teachers were actually responsible for providing instructions on dishwashing. Even today, commercials command us to use the proper products to get the best results. We are surrounded by recommendations on this seemingly innocent challenge. But there will always be those who decide that letting dirty dishes soak in a sink full of suds is the best way. It may be a better explanation of life. When we start a job, it feels like a good thing. The real work is completed when we come back to that tepid water and finish the job. There is actually an art to life.
What is in your sink right now? Do little tasks go undone because they are little? Have you dished the dirt with anyone lately?
