For the longest time, I was hesitant to get a cleaning lady. For several reasons. first, it seemed like a waste of money: as an adult, shouldn't I be able to clean up after myself? and if so, why am I paying other adults to clean up my mess? second, it seemed that to have a cleaning lady come, i'd need to prepare, as in clean. Not that my place was particularly messy, but there was definitely a number of piles of unopened mail, or old receipts, or other 'documents' that i had no place other than in small piles all over the place, where they would sit until some time later, in a massive cleaning effort, i would finally deem them useless and would throw them away. but since the cleaning lady would not know what to do with the piles (as i didn't either), i couldn't just have her come and clean...i would have to clean first. you see?
finally, i caved in, and we started having a cleaning lady come. And she is great, in that she cleans and does a good job. mostly, i like not being there when she comes. i lay out sheets for her to change and leave for work, so i dont have to worry about whether this woman should really be changing my sheets (or if i should just do it really quickly). if i'm not there, then i dont have to deal with her, someone else does.
Occasionally, I am either post-call or just plain home and have to confront the cleaning lady. it is awkward. not that she is awkward, but the whole me being there while she's there, is awkward. because if i'm home adn she is cleaning, i feel like i can't just be idly sitting on the couch and watching tv, or online shopping. I have to be massively busy with something massively important...otherwise, i feel like i should be helping her! because why else is this adult cleaning up my mess, while i just sit here! that kind of behavior is only tolerated in urban single-child households (and not those of eastern, asian, or hispanic immigrants). i get that this is her job, and i am actually paying her to do it, that she has chosen to come here adn clean the mess, and could very well have chosen to do....something else. but it's weird.
i try to stay out of her way, moving to the room where she is not cleaning, but then i feel trapped to that particular area of the apartment, lest i disturb her (very important for me) work. I wonder if we've made too much of a mess, or if she's judging me (of course she is!) for my decor style, or whether she's recognizing my hoarding tendencies. i'd rather she just finish up and leave!
the cleaning lady is in the kitchen. she is cleaning things that i would never think of cleaning, like the espresso machine. suddenly, i'm hungry. there is a grapefruit on the counter and i would like to eat it. but i can't eat it in the kitchen because she is cleaning. and i can't eat it in front of her....so i take the grapefruit into the freshly cleaned bathroom and eat it in the privacy of my bathtub, where i will remain, with all the grapefruit peels, in shame, until after she leaves.
