Displacement Activities

Sometimes I set goals for myself. Like when I sit down to write, I’ll set forth this goal that my writing really ought to have some sort of point to it. A purpose. At a bare minimum, it should have depth, insight, and the power to stir minds. Which means that at the very least, it has to be profound enough to potentially merit a Pulitzer Prize. Or a Nobel. Which means that unless I am confident I could look forward to an early morning phone call from Sweden over whatever emerging writing I am working on, I must abandon all hope of literary aptitude and instead go do something that is more commensurate with my obviously limited abilities. This includes and is strictly limited to menial housework tasks such as washing dishes, sweeping floors or ––I know!––washing my living room windows. Here’s a helpful life hint:  Should you ever find yourself despairing over an appalling inability to meet the simplest little goal you set up for yourself, washing windows affords a good low-investment, high-reward measure to demonstrate that you are at least still good at something. Even if it’s washing windows.

            Our downstairs windows are more immaculate than they have ever been, and not just because we recently bought this crazy cleaner stuff that claims to have some sort of miracle enzymatic cleansing power along with 500+ official uses (Because it cleans windows! And window sills! And counters! Wow!) And never mind that a mysterious film, which appeared shortly after I had finished my flurry of industry now causes me to perpetually believe it is hazier outside than it actually is. At least at the end of the day, I can look at my windows and windowsills and bask in their gentle enzymatically scrubbed glow, and say to myself, I did that! I was so productive! On the other hand, I can also say that I’ve cleaned my windows more recently than I’ve posted to my blog. And for anybody who has seen my housekeeping skills, you understand how this illustrates the depths to which I’ve sunk. 

            But I have other goals that help get me back on track. For instance, one of my more recent goals goes like this: Today I will finish the remaining work I have to do for my mfa program’s residency, which begins next week. Which means I absolutely will finish today. Which means that if, in an emergency-sort-of-way, I don’t, you know, finish finish, it’s okay because I still have tomorrow. Which is a relief because suddenly our sluggish washing machine seems like an urgent concern. And so does the fact that we don’t have an air conditioner and it’s hot and they’re on sale right now at Lowe’s, which is just down the road. And so does the fact that it’s been quite a while since I’ve blogged.

            Which reminds me, I think my windows really could use some washing.