Sinks and Sponges

Tuesday’s Thought

When I was shopping for my ultra-granola apartment last year, I was more concerned with location and function than I was the bells and whistles of a space. I’ve moved enough times in my life to be able to assess pretty quickly if a space is going to work for me – or not.

When I found my lovely space, I was so pleased and excited to discover the bonus room that I just knew would be a fantastic lab. As soon as I saw the room, I told the super that I’d take the space. She was surprised and proceeded to lead me through a lackluster tour of the rest of the space. Glossing over the kitchen and the basement, I didn’t pause to really look at anything because my mind was so concentrated on my new lab!

After moving in, I discovered that the kitchen had no dishwasher or microwave. The microwave I can live without because they generally disturb me, but no dishwasher?! Immediate panic set in. I’d been living in the ‘burbs too long … and forgot that folks really do exist, function and lead amazingly compelling lives … without a dishwasher.

The first time I had a sink full of dishes to wash, I did so with disdain and contempt. I thought it to be a complete waste of time because there was nothing else I could simultaneously be doing – besides washing dishes. Picture me standing at a sink, filled to the brim with bubbles, my yellow throwback rubber gloves on, wondering how I could make the task more efficient. After careful consideration (and many sinks of dishes later) I’ve discovered there’s no way to do anything else besides wash dishes.

So I stepped back from my incessant need for efficiency and tried to approach the chore from a fresher mind-space. Maybe there was something to be learned in the ritual of washing, or in honoring the time that it takes to wash each piece of cutlery dish by dish.

In the eighteen months I’ve had this apartment, I’ve nestled in to the concept of dishwashing. Now I find it to be one of the most cathartic and relaxing parts of my day. Why? Because I can’t do anything else at all! It forces me to pause. To reset. Regroup. Reevaluate. Now, every morning before I leave for Dental World, I wash up my coffee and breakfast dishes. It gives me a few floating moments to simply be. Whoever said technology makes the world better probably has long forgotten the joy of a sink full of dishes.