Courtesy Cleanliness

That doesn't quite have the ring to it that I thought it would. Maybe if I define what I'm speaking of it will make more sense. This courtesy cleanliness is the stuff we do every day. When we walk in to the house we kick off our shoes or boots to prevent more dirt from being spread throughout our home. And for heaven's sake we ALWAYS do this upon entering a friend's home. We clear dishes from the table. We hang up wet towels. Mostly because we want them out of the way. But also because the towels emit a peculiar smell after a while that is know in my house as FUNK. Yep, the same smell can infiltrate your dish rag in the kitchen sink. That smell can literally bring me to my knees.

There is the courtesy of cleaning up after your animals. Even in your yard. The last thing you want to hear when your child has a play date is, "mom, my friend stepped in some doggy doo and then threw up!" It only happened once, I swear. And in restaurants, yes, we pay to eat and be waited on. But this doesn't give you free range to become some sort of slob in public. I was once eating at a restaurant with a friend. We had finished eating and I put all of my silverware on my plate and proceeded to dust up my crumbs with my napkin and put them on my plate. My friend said, "geez, Ann, you're not at home." I said, I know, but I used to be a waitress and it's a really hard job. I don't mind the courtesy dust up. And yes, I do still leave a 20-25 percent tip.

Have you ever used a public restroom and wiped the counter dry after you washed your hands? After all it was me that made the splash. I once got a rental car washed. It had been dive bombed by pigeons and I didn't wash the car for the reason of embarrassment, but because I could hardly see out the windows. I have borrowed a crock pot and a food processor and made sure that they were clean as a whistle before returning them. And I'm pretty sure that I could borrow again if the need should arise.

These things have an impact on our every day lives. Whether it's how much time we have to spend sweeping, vacuuming, clearing dishes, hanging up towels or just dusting up after ourselves. Think of all of the nice little things that we do for ourselves and others every day. It's common courtesy and cleanliness and it makes a big difference.


©2011 Ann M. De Broux