Krishnan and I were watching Blacklist, the web series on Netflix and the ongoing episode would have finished in 5 minutes….. The washing machine chose to complete its washing cycle just then. My mother wanted me to put the huge bedspread out to dry right away :):). All those who know me well, would know how my face would have contorted !
I switched the TV off and stomped off in a huff to put that damn bedspread out to dry ! A good thing is I didn’t yell at Mom but boy, I was pissed. It’s not that I would not put the bedspread out to dry, but the timing is where the generational differences kick in.
Do-It-Now Generation
Those who are in their 50’s and above in 2024 like me, their parents are from a generation that worked inordinately hard and had very little time for leisure. My father would be gone for nearly 10 hours to 12 hours a day for work, six days a week. Amma would do the housework, including cooking everyday. We never had a house help except initially when I was very young. We never had any washing machine or vacuum cleaner or dishwashers.
Dad had to save money to help his extended family and to maintain his own family (the three of us). He indulged in his love of travel by taking a vacation every two years as his government job permitted. We would stay with friends or relatives in new cities as we explored those places. Don’t remember staying at a hotel at all except in one trip.
Both my parents liked to get things done right away especially at home. Amma never left a pile of clothes to be washed… they would get washed everyday. Dad would find time to iron his clothes despite his busy schedule. Amma would clean the vessels right away. Everything would be done immediately, nothing was left for later :).
Do-It-Later Generation
As long as Krishnan and I were working, weekends were to simply relax or getting away for the weekend. I do collect the unwashed clothes till the washing machine can be fully loaded. If it rains and I had left the clothes out to dry, I wouldn’t run and bring them in because I wasn’t at home :). I will certainly wash them again and dry them out later.
I HATE having a clothes drying stand inside the house. I want my house to look beautiful, like a show house, NOT a place where clothes are put up to dry everyday :):):). My mother-in-law had two important factors when deciding to live in a house – ample space to dry the clothes, a clothesline inside the house and enough loft storage (Paran, in Tamil). Well, both my mother and mother-in-law got along on this point, and I disagreed with both of them !!
If I am watching a movie or a web series, I don’t want to get up and switch on the dishwasher or the washing machine or put the clothes out to dry. My leisure time is more important than dusting or cleaning the house :). Make no mistake, I keep the house very clean, you won’t find my place dusty or unclean. But it cannot interfere with my leisure time activities. That’s all.
The clothes can get washed tomorrow, the dishwasher can run overnight, and the dusting can be done later….
While I have said all this I also realise that when I look at the next generation, my nephew, my friends’ children who are in their twenties… they will probably classify us with our parents. I call myself as the “do-it-later” generation, but I find these youngsters to be “do-it-never” generation especially when it comes to housework.
My friends and I have had very interesting conversations about how boxes remain unpacked, clothes remain unwashed, dirty dishes remain in the sink… and life goes on. Well, maybe we are the “do-it-now” generation now !!!
I can’t reconcile myself to wearing crumpled T.Shirts to work and living on Facebook or Instagram just as I cannot reconcile myself to giving priority to housework over travel/leisure. Sandwich generation ? Probably. But I like sandwiches. So it’s ok.
Thoughts ??
Total sandwich generation we are !! 😀 I like to call people now in their 40s and early fifties the “transition” generation! We are neither here not there ! Somewhat Trisanku Sorgham ! It has its good and bad points. We were mentally conditioned not to put ourselves first and give everything of ourselves to family/chores. But we did rebel and somehow found some mental space to call our own. Just as we are getting better at this self-love thing besides loving others, the next gen comes up with their “self-love only” attitude ! Instant gratification, self-indulgence, love for the present philosophy. I have to admit I make it sound like they are utterly selfish, and that is not the case. However one can’t help wonder if there will ever be a balance !
Yeah, Trishanku swargam it is. But it has been a struggle to find our “mental” space. Especially for us women. You are right, the current generation is not selfish, they are far more giving and far more interested in sustainability etc. They also are able to take more risks because our generation has built them some security. 😊. We need to learn to take it easy and enjoy some creature comforts too.
Is there a “When I get around to it” generation? To attend to basic daily needs takes inordinate amounts of time. Just chopping vegetables, or getting through packaging are time sinks. Yesterday, my little hen, Tweety (Underfoot) followed me into the kitchen when I went to prepare chicken treats. The two like grapes and cheese, but washing and cutting grapes, or getting through the cheese packaging and grating it takes time, while Speckles the rooster was sitting outside under the hawks, owls, and other predators. Leaving food out attracts rats and ants, so getting around Miss Underfoot to make sure Speckles got treats, too, meant some cleanup must wait until I get around to it.