As I was dutifully vacuuming and dusting in anticipation of a visit from my mother, I started to think about how our standards have fallen in general over the past year. Well, mine have, anyway. Why bother to clean your house when there’s no one to see it? Why wash your hair when it’s covered by a hat during the one permitted daily walk? Why bother to change out of your comfy joggers and slippers if nobody can see them on a Zoom call? Why cook elaborate food when it’s just the same old lot eating it day after day? Essentially, we have stopped trying to impress anyone. Is this down to laziness or has a general “can’t-be-bothered” feeling taken hold of us all?
I think I might be in danger of judging everyone by myself. Housework has never featured high on my to-do list and I used to think that it was just as well that people came to visit us occasionally because that was the only time the house ever got a really good clean. However, Instagram is awash with cleaning gurus like Mrs Hinch, who has 4 million followers known as the #HinchArmy. There seems to be a large tribe of cleaning enthusiasts, but I wonder if they’re indulging in vicarious cleaning, content in the knowledge that Mrs Hinch seems to be doing enough for everyone.
Although I haven’t yet resorted to spending the day in my pyjamas, it can’t be said that I have been making much of an effort. I vaguely recall a Dress Up Friday trend in the first lockdown, but there’s something so sad about being all dressed up with nowhere to go that it put me off the whole idea. In fact, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times in the past year when I have spent any time thinking about what I was going to wear. At one time I would have considered this quite restful, but now I rather miss it. Although I have finally achieved the title of this blog and Let Myself Go. Surely that calls for some sort of celebration.
And then there’s food. I am full of admiration for the people who have spent lockdown nurturing sourdough starters, fermenting their own kombucha and enthusiastically trying new recipes to tempt their household’s jaded palates. But I’m perfectly happy with a sliced brown loaf from our local supermarket and a basic cup of tea. I’m afraid those palates will just have to resign themselves to disappointment.
All I can say is that it’s just as well that my mother is part of our household bubble. When she’s coming over we do clean the house, wash our hair and make an effort to cook decent meals. If it weren’t for her visits, I think we’d be living in a midden and living off suspect foodstuffs dredged up from the back of the freezer.
I’ve started wearing actual ‘normal’ trousers with a proper waistband in anticipation of that light at the end of the tunnel. Trouble is my loosest pair are no longer loose! And, yes, in the first lockdown I enjoyed trying new recipes. In lockdown number three, the novelty has definitely worn off. And housework … Quentin Crisp said ‘There is no need to do any housework at all. After the first four years the dirt doesn’t get any worse.’ Looking forward to seeing your dust (and you mine) before too long!
I think we’ll be dusting off the garden furniture first.
Looking forward to that even more!
I’m in your club, Sheridan. My standards certainly have lowered……no ironing, rarely hoovering or dusting, no new recipes……in fact, I’m doing very little cooking. John’s doing it all! Same old clothes, dreadful old underwear, hair needing washing but leaving it a couple of days, telling myself it’s gaining nourishment from the natural oils. A daily shower? Hmmm?
And, I’m quite happy with this way of life. I guess that once out of lockdown, we’ll all find incentives to ‘up our game’ & return to our higher standards again? I wonder…….?!
Once we’re free to travel again you’ll be washing your hair and packing your newly ironed clothes into that suitcase!