Writing Is Better Than Cleaning

My house is a mess.

I haven’t been home much this week. It was spring break week for my son, so we took a day-trip down to UC Santa Cruz so he could see the campus, just in case he finds out in a few months that he came off the waitlist and actually got admitted. We will go to UC Santa Barbara’s preview day (the only place where he was admitted for sure) soon. He liked the Santa Cruz campus with its redwoods and greenery, but said that he’s “kind of already had the experience of living in a forest (since where we live has lots of pine trees) and wouldn’t mind being next to the ocean.”

I totally get that. I wouldn’t mind living a few feet from the beach, either.

My house is also a mess because I had a lot of work this week. Massages every day, which is a good thing for sure.

Mainly, though? My house is a mess because apparently I don’t care that much.

Right now, at this moment, when my house is a mess? I am writing.

Writing is better than cleaning.

I used to clean before I wrote. Usually, I would clean so much that I wouldn’t end up having time to write at all, or if I did, it would only be for a few minutes. Before I sat down at my computer or laptop, I had to make sure that the dishes were done, the bathroom floor was swept, the beds were made, the clothes put away. On and on.

I was very good at procrastinating. And procrastinating by cleaning? That felt very noble and important.

Some days, there is time for both cleaning and writing. I can take the mop and get the dirty paw prints off the wood floor and still write.

This week?

Just the writing.

I will have to wipe kitty litter off my socks in the morning when I trudge to the bathroom. The clean clothes will still be in the basket.

But that’s OK. I don’t have work tomorrow, so I’ll be home all day;  I’ll finally have a chance to tidy things up.

Only after I write, though.

Hold me to that, OK?

And happy Easter to you, if you read this on the day that it published. May we all live in the never ending hope and promise of resurrection.