Reflections From The Kitchen Sink on My To Do List

My To Do List

I arrived home in an off-white dressy dress and rather snazzy high heels with lots of adornment. I put my bags down and headed to the bathroom. It had been a long trip…details are unnecessary. I started out of the bathroom when it dawned on me the commode was still running. It should have had enough water by now. I guess I have an internal toilet timer, I don’t know. Get ready—you know me—probably some not funny to anyone else potty jokes are on the way.

I jiggled the handle and nothing changed. I jiggled it again.

“Oh, come on!” I said emphatically as if the piece of porcelain were going to obey.

“Well, poop!” (Potty play on words unintended in the moment but oh so appropriate now.)

I proceeded to take the lid off the back of the commode and get busy wiggling levers and hoses.
Luckily, attempt number two (I didn’t mean for that play on words to happen either, but it’s a little funny) took care of the job.

I reached for the hand towel to keep the water splatters from touching my off-white dry clean only dress. One small drip of water splashed between my two sparkly pumps, but that was it. I returned the lid and proceeded out of the bathroom. Stuff happens. (I avoided that pun, thank goodness!)

It was with this latest housekeeping shenanigan that I realized yet again – I’m on my own. I remember a day that I thought being independent was all that and a barrel of monkeys. It was cool for about a day and a half.

I was a 20-year-old college student when I moved into my first solo apartment. It was furnished, but I had moved all my belongings in and tried to make the place my own. There wasn’t much to that at that time. I hung my clothes up, put a few things in the dresser, and placed my few bathroom and kitchen necessities where I thought they should go. I remember sitting down in the living room for a minute and having a rush of pride quickly swallowed by the worry of the expenses being all mine. I had always lived with others, so when the wave of reality hit, my boat almost capsized with the force of the tide. I had my life vest of responsibility on, but that didn’t mean I had to like it…and I didn’t. I wouldn’t dare tell anyone I was scared though. I was independent!

The fear today is a different fear. When the poop hits the fan (couldn’t skip that one), it’s all my mess to clean up. The bills are much bigger, and the responsibility is much greater. You guessed it: sometimes rolling the clock back to the simpler time surely seems nice.

I’ve turned into one of the folks who says things that begin with “when I was your age” and “if I knew then what I know now.” They say time flies when you’re younger, and I’m here to agree.

Bottom line…and, yes, I caught the “bottom” reference…enjoy the younger years when responsibilities are fewer. Before you can turn around twice, that time will be long gone.

The commode still makes that noise every time it’s flushed. It’s on my ever-growing to do list that gets prioritized. I know how to make it stop, so it will have to wait its turn to be repaired. Today isn’t its day either.

I could venture into the how-to’s of household maintenance prioritizing, but my coffee cup is almost empty and needs refilling. Adulting has me heading out the door in 25 minutes, too.

…and I thought I was busy when I was 20 in that first apartment…

until next time…

Bio-Melinda Campbell is a retired educator who currently focuses her efforts on raising her two teenaged boys, advocating for individuals with special needs and against drunk driving, and serving in her local community. Melinda has been gaining recognition for her writings labeled “Reflections from my Kitchen Sink” since the tragic death of her husband Michael in 2015. In her stories, she shares observations from her daily life including moments she has as a solo parent, a widow, and a woman who battles significant health issues including fibromyalgia and depression.