Showing posts with label monk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label monk. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Meaning of Washing Dishes
Whats funny about this to me is it reminded me what a little bullheaded kid I was. The first time my Dad asked me to wash dishes.....change "asked" to "told" rather, I cried. I burst into tears as if it was punishment. I washed dishes with tears streaming down my face I was so indignant. I was just a kid. I should be outside playing or watching tv I thought.
Then later as a teen I had joined a dojo for Aikido. What did they make us do after our training was over? We had to put the matts away and CLEAN the floor. I was so upset and thought it was so beneath me. Oh the teacher is just using us so they don't have to pay for a maintenance crew I thought.
Then if my boyfriend didn't wash dishes or help me clean I would get so peeved and tried to make him feel bad about not helping to keep the place clean.
But I noticed something very strange in my 30s. I...dare I say....liked? I kind of liked doing the dishes? I kind of liked doing the dishes, there...I said it. And what's even weirder, I felt kinda peaceful doing them. There was a pleasure in cleaning and purifying the dirtiness and making your little abode back into a proper temple. Order and not chaos. I can almost meditate while washing dishes. I definitely get into what is called "flow". It's the weirdest damn thing but it's true and now I truly laugh when I'm washing dishes and think of myself at 8 years old crying over the sink. Theres a lesson in washing dishes. If you think of what that is let me know. A friend of mine said the lesson is getting a dishwasher. Everyones got jokes.
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