Not allowing a friend to visit me at home

I'd love to blame it on my Mother. From the time I was a very young child I knew that it was important to keep one's home clean and tidy and frankly looking presentable. On days of high frustration (usually when she couldn't get help from her messy offspring who seemed to wreak havoc wherever they roamed) she occasionally delivered The Mother's Curse: "When you're an adult, your home is going to be a horrid mess." Or some variant.

On days when I'm looking around at the mess, I know it's her fault. It's ingrained...I can't be held responsible when my mom laid such a big one like that on me.

I could, of couse, take regular time out for cleaning activities. I do so love a clean house. But it's ever so much more fun to sit at my desk, looking neither to the left nor the right, or wander through my garden with shears and a bucket for discarding the weeds. (Okay, fine...I haven't done this in a while, but sometimes I do.) Or a bottle of RoundUp. It's more fun to roll out balls of clay and form them meticulously into shapes that will one day be worn around the necks of my proud customers or their loved ones.

I still should clean my house more often.

So here's the embarrassing truth. I go through periods in which I do everything within my power to NOT allow another human being cross the threshhold of my home. When they do I usually get the kind "It's lovely!" and "Your place always looks nice to me." These people call themselves my friends and yet I know they lie.

Dena, a friend and colleague, suggested a date and time for our next meeting. This time, though, we need to access the Internet. She kindly and perceptively suggested perhaps I wouldn't mind driving to her house. She lives rather far away from our usual meeting place that's within walking distance from my house.

MELODY...CLEAN YOUR HOUSE ALREADY!!!! I mean, what's the big deal woman?! She was, as I mentioned, too kind to remind me she's never been permitted to come visit me here.

So Dena has now been invited to visit me in my home where we will have a gloriously productive meeting, no doubt eat something chocolate and amusing ourselves with our oft overpowering wit and wisdom.

Either that or I'll have to run away and not tell her where I've gone.

Comments

[Dena Harris]

Melody -- It's to your advantage to have me over. I LOVE organizing other's people space. Feed me enough chocolate and I'll be vaccumming before the day's over. =)

[Dawn Riffell]

I thought that I was the only one who almost never permitted even the closest friend in my house. I have so many creative ideas and I may start a project and before I can finish I have a brainstorm (there is a lot of weather in my head!) about the next cool project and just simply must start on it right NOW. My house has always been a "bloody wreck" (My British mum's curse.) Take heart though, almost all creative people are very cluttery. (Is this a word? If not I just created it!) I do not believe that it is possible to be truly brilliantly creative in a pristine environment. We are only ashamed because it was ingrained in us by our OCD mothers. We should be proud and excited to have friends over to see our cool homes. “Should” being the operative word here……. I am a long way from there!
Love reading your blogs! P.S. Where can I meet Dena? I need a friend to come and organize me too. We’ll meet at YOUR house!

[Melody]

Dawn, you're singin' my song. Read Dena's amazing wit and wisdom at www.blogsbydenaharris.squarespace.com and you'll continue to be thrilled.

Thanks for the note - and for the comforting reminding that I'm not the only one... :) Melody