Chief Executive…Housewife?

by Kimberly Palmer

I surveyed my surroundings. Shoes and grocery bags littered the area by the entrance way. The kitchen table was covered in dirty cereal bowls and various newspaper sections. My feet picked up crumbs each time I walked near the sink, which also seemed to be the source of a decomposing smell wafting into the rest of the apartment.

Start with 3 Cups of Lemon Juice
I dug in, ready to face the worst corner of the apartment, the kitchen. I relied on Martha Stewart’s theory that lemons are one of the world’s greatest cleaning tools. She recommends simmering half a dozen lemon slices in water for 10 minutes. In an effort to save time, I squeezed lemon juice around the sink and down the drain, which seemed to replace the bad smell with a fresh, citrus-infused one.

A clean sink: Check. That’s what appeals to me about being a housewife: Unlike at an office job, where the goals are often unclear and generated by someone else, housewifery involves very specific tasks that are met in quick succession: Sweep the floor. Make dinner. Do the dishes. I could cross them off my list. Plus, they made me feel rooted and safe–the exact opposite emotions that are evoked from a stressful, challenging job.

Add ¼ Cup of Calm
While Sujay relaxed on our futon reading the last Harry Potter, I wrapped myself in my red apron and started measuring out cups of flower and sugar for dessert and then chopping vegetables for our salad. As casserole dishes went into the oven and diced vegetables piled up, one might think that could be overwhelming, yet I started to feel a sense of calm and accomplishment–two feelings I rarely experience at work, where a typical project is only completed after weeks of coordinating between multiple colleagues.

I’m not saying I was having the time of my life. I’d been on my feet for at least four hours and they were beginning to ache. An hour before Mike and Pegg arrived, Sujay realized I hadn’t said anything for awhile. He gave me a shoulder rub, and then started spontaneously dusting the apartment, a level of cleaning I don’t think I have ever even attempted. And that, it turns out, is precisely what Dr. Laura predicts will happen. The more tasks wives do around the house–and the less nagging–then the more their husbands will happily to do their share, she insists. I never thought I would agree with Dr. Laura on much, but in this regard, she seems to be right.