My mother used to call Monday washday. Every Monday, you could hear the swoosh, swoosh of clothes in the machine, the smell of suds wafting from the kitchen and soaking into every drop of air you breathed. An orderly row of my brother’s underwear, my father’s shirts, my shorts, her blouses, bed sheets and well-starched pillowcases hung on the clothesline, languid in the sun or flapping in a breeze off a nearby pond. Soon, the basket overflowed with neatly folded layers, perfumed from the outdoors. Tablecloths and cottons, of course, had to be sprinkled with water and rolled up to stay slightly damp. The clank of the ironing board, the hiss of steam from the iron and the clatter of wire hangers signaled the forthcoming arrival in each closet and drawer of white, white socks and bright, bright colored clothing.
Fast Forward to Today
There is no day for laundry any longer. Not for working women. The washer and dryer sit in my basement, a few steps from where the car is parked in the garage. A load of dirty goes in the machine on my way out. Washed goes in the dryer on the way in. Clothes get folded on the following trip from downstairs to upstairs. Rarely do the iron and ironing board leave their storage spots.
The MO for women today, especially working mothers, is catch as catch can. There’s no devoting one whole day (imagine that) to just one chore. You do what you have to do to get done what needs to be done. That pretty much takes 24/7 if you include some fun, some sleep and an occasional moment you can stop long enough to take a deep breath–only one before you zoom off again.
Minutes Must Do Double Duty
Sure, experts tell you to prioritize. You do. They tell you to stop and smell the roses. You do – while you’re pulling weeds. You may already have the multitasking habit without even realizing it. While dinner’s cooking, you empty the dishwasher. While you’re having dinner or cleaning up, you watch the news. While you get the kids ready for bed or during commercial breaks on a TV show, you lay out clothes for the next day. You wear headphones so you can listen to music when you jog, workout or mow the lawn. Dentist or doctor appointment? You bring a book or magazine to pass the waiting time. Otherwise, you end up staring at the walls or, out of desperation, get caught reading a reception copy of “The Cat in the Hat.”
It’s More A Woman Thing
Haven’t scientists proven that most men operate on a one-track mentality while we females tend to use both the right and left sides? Let’s face it. Even today, women still carry the biggest load, acting as primary caretaker of the home and family as well as putting in a full day at the office. So the time crunch is definitely more of a her thing than a his. We have learned that if your hands are occupied with something mindless, your brain is free. If your brain is occupied, your hands can be involved in a mindless chore. If your eyes are busy, your ears can be elsewhere. No doubt even my mother doubled up although she would probably disapprove of not giving full attention to one task at a time, if it’s to be done properly. Until cloning is perfected or personal robots become available for hire, working women won’t have to worry about filling some do-nothing hours anytime soon.