Okay, I am vacuuming our apartment and detect the odor of something burning. It’s obvious that the vacuum cleaner is malfunctioning badly. The smoke emanating from the engine tells me this. I did not go to college for nothing. Anyway, I immediately shut off the vacuum cleaner, and examine its innards. Yep, it’s fried all right. Now, I have no complaints since my boyfriend’s mom gave us this vacuum cleaner, and it has to be at least 15-years-old. So, I announce to the boyfriend that we need to get another vacuum cleaner. He thoroughly sniffs in the vicinity of the vacuum’s engine and also determines that this machine has bit the dust. Like me, he too attended college. We then decide to head out and purchase our very own vacuum cleaner – our first one! We arrive at the store with two requirements – cheap and picks up dirt. I became attached to a large Dustbuster (it’s only a one bedroom apartment). The boyfriend, however, was chatting up this self-propelled trick with a HEPA filter. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but what’s the point of a room filter on a machine that will be turned on for maybe an hour a week? We may be gay, but we’re not fanatics! At any rate, we decide on a moderately priced bagless model. I hate vacuum cleaner bags! We put the machine in the car, and I realize that I just spent an hour and a half of my life picking out a freakin’ vacuum cleaner! We get home, unpack the vacuum cleaner and its various attachments; and I proceed to vacuum the apartment. Vacuum cleaner works great. Pet hairs are disappearing along with other detritus from our lives. I put the vacuum away. Boyfriend has returned to the sofa to watch reruns of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and I join him. I then realize that with the exception of the same-sex thing, my life is starting to seem awfully similar to my parents, and it’s freaky and cool at the same time. I also realize that I am happy. So, when did mundane shit start to feel so good? Is this what it means to be growing up?
IMHO, that’s exactly what growing up usually entails - learning to take joy in the mundane everyday experiences that, shocking though it seems, really do pretty much resemble our parents’ lives.
I live a life that, from the outside, I suspect, looks incredibly dull to the vast majority of people. It suits me. Growing up, in many ways, I think, boils down to realizing that happiness doesn’t require ceaseless excitement, and that your definition of happiness isn’t necessarily someone else’s.
Almost twenty years ago (how did that happen?!?), when I was twenty-nine, I answered the door wearing cow slippers (i.e. slippers that were big stuffed cows). The nineteen year old girl who was visiting asked me how I had the nerve, and I realized then that this was a big difference between nineteen and twenty-nine. Now my life is one big mass of “cow-slippers,” and the idea that other people might find it incomprehensible or boring leaves me utterly indifferent.
If you are happy in your mundane life, congratulations! You have found a precious secret that some people will never discover.
We do the same kinda things here. Morelin and I have grown deeply passionate about kitchen space (our kitchen here sucks!). I have just recently discovered the joys of the bagless vacuum cleaner. I feel so accomplished when I dump all that dirt into the trash. And so on…
I weep for the day I start caring about lawns. Fortunately, we live in apartments. For now! :eek:
I’m 17, and I am a bit teary eyed in happiness reading about that, It sounds like life is starting to mean ‘nothing’, and your winding down, and it hasn’t gotton worse.
I hope my wife and I are like that one day. (i’m male, BTW :))
Heh, last sat-night I spent out on my balcony BY MYSELF listening to music and watching the waterfoutain down by the pool. All the while quaffing a few beers.
Let me tell ya’ I had a ball!
Ten years ago I would have went insane with boredom if I were to do that on a Saturday night of all nights.
Also, I can remember once as I was leaving a Target this HOT mom was leaving at the same time with her two young sons in tow. Well, the whole time these two kids kept eye-balling me because they saw that I was getting on a motorcycle. Then I figured what the heck, so I rev the bike up a couple of times to give the kids a little show.
Then it finally dawned on me, I was MORE concerned with impressing the kids (because I have one of my own.) then I was with impressing the HOT mom.
Yep get’n old aint all that bad…
I have started to care about my lawn. I have started to look through gardening books and exclaim in delight about forsythia.
I have started to get up at 6 AM every morning, and I must get in bed by 10:30.
My bedroom and house are CLEAN.
We bought a dishwasher last week and I was intensely excited about doing the first load of dishes in it.
I say, “I can’t believe what kids are wearing these days,” and I go HMPH.
I haven’t been to a bar, a real bar, in over a year, and I’m glad. The last party I was at was New Year’s.
For the last two years I have been sewing curtains, quilting, reading carpentry books, and generally being a homebody. And it feels damn good.
Indeed, Elysian. I was never a 24 hour party person, but now I say things like, “Well, hell, considering the rent I pay, I’m just trying to make all that money worth it!”
How can you possibly buy a vacuum without consulting Consumer Reports? Insane I tell you! You’re not old until you start with Consumer Reports for every semi-durable goods purchase, and even some consumer products buys.
Forgive us. We still have so much to learn - lowers head in shame.
Jeff