Monday, August 4, 2008

Why I won't change!










I was prompted to write today based on my friend's blog entry about the heat. http://www.parentingthehoovers.blogspot.com/ This girl is so funny, she should do stand up comedy. I was her roomate in college. I don't envy her life and she doesn't envy mine, but we sure are good friends. Anyway, her blog about hell made me think about life in Florida doing rescue. When I say I won't change, it has to do with clothing, not bad habits or my thoughts about things- God is always at work on my heart telling me things that need to change. I was comforted the other day when we visited Shirley's place- she was dressed in a t-shirt, shorts, tennishoes, and a hand towel. A hand towel? Yep, across one shoulder, a white one, that stayed there the whole time we visited. For what purpose you wonder? To wipe sweat out of her eyes and forehead every five minutes. I thought, " Oh thank God, I am not the only one!" You see, when you live in Florida, you have two options. Only two. Stay inside ALL DAY or get wet. When you walk outside, it takes maybe 5 minutes for your delicate underthings to get SOAKING WET with sweat. Then it soaks through to your shirt and shorts. So when you live in Florida, you have several ways you can deal with it. If you are a clean freak, don't live here. You will change clothes every time you go outside- not good for your energy bill, not good for your washing machine and certainly not good for your work load. Your other option is to DEAL WITH IT. This means putting on antipersperant several times a day, buying stock in Shower to Shower powder and using it liberally and getting used to feeling damp all the time. In my business, you are going to stay pretty damp all day and your clothes are going to get dirty- dog paws, bird poop, cat hair, you name it, it's on your clothes. So, my motto is "change when you have to". I change shirts about three or four times a day and I take a shower at the end of the day when all the dirty jobs are done- not don't get me wrong- when I LEAVE MY PROPERTY, I am always showered, clean, makeup is on and I look like a real person. But around here, it's strictly trying to keep up. And five showers a day I don't have time for. I love short hair and I love shorts. Don't worry, my hubby is the same way- so he's not horrified to see cat hair or dog paw prints on my shorts. It's life around here. In fact, Jon said, " Anne, let's make a deal- you check my shirt for bird poop when we leave the house and I'll check yours, ok?" "That's a great idea, babe!" Not romantic, but it works. Horse people have the same experience- you are soaking wet by the time you groom, much less by the time you ride- and if you are going to stay at home and muck the stalls, you are not showering in between. When the chores are DONE, (never around here) then you luxuriate in a warm shower and lots of soap. And wait for the next time you have to walk outside. So I look at the clean people (the really clean ones with the high maintenance hair and face) and wonder, " Don't they get soaking wet too?" They do a good job of disguising it, but I bet their face is sliding off on their way to the car from Target. The only difference is my face, although sliding off, doesn't WIPE OFF- it's strictly my skin. Thank God.

1 comment:

Donna said...

I never knew you were addicted to Shower to Shower, I'll remember that for your next bday. lol... I obviously don't have quite the sweat water works that you do, but I HATE feeling sweaty all the way through the clothes...yuck.