Day 28: The Things You Learn About Yourself

There are some situations where you don't know how you will be until you're actually in that situation.  Sure, you can imagine what you would do, you can try to set up a plan so that you're better prepared.  But sometimes you don't find out what you would do until you're actually doing it.

This applies to all sorts of situations.  Certainly, the ones that immediately come to mind are situations of a serious nature--some sort of emergency or the high stress type.  Maybe the type where you have to assert yourself and stand up against something you think isn't quite right.

But it's also true of small things.

For example, I am much more domestic than I thought I would be.

This has been kind of a revelation of sorts to me, because I just flat out thought that this wouldn't be the case.

We got our own apartment at the beginning of the year.  This is not the first time I've lived "on my own," having been married and divorced and having lived with a friend for four years.  I really enjoy having a space that is mine.  And I really enjoy having a space that I share with my girlfriend.  We've made this little space ours, and we're comfortable here for the most part.  We could stand to have different neighbors, but who in an apartment building doesn't think that at one point or another?

When I lived with my ex-husband, I was the one working.  I had two jobs.  He went to school and had a very part time job during the summers.  So he stayed home and took care of the house.  He did the laundry.  And I brought home the paychecks.  Kind of a role reversal in the typical Mormon household, but that's how it was.

When I lived with my friend, we just did our own thing.  She insisted on doing most of the cleaning, being somewhat of an OCD sort when it comes to germs (she's a nurse), and I just tried to get through the days and the nights.  Not the brightest of times for me in terms of mental health.

But now, living with my girlfriend, whom I plan to live with until the end of all my days, I'm finding that I've kind of got a bit of housewife in me after all.

We divide up the chores.  I hate laundry and vacuuming, but fortunately for me, my girlfriend insists on doing the laundry and doesn't mind the vacuuming.  She hates dishes and cleaning the bathroom, and I'll volunteer to do those chores over vacuuming any day.  It works out pretty well.

But I also do most of the cooking.  I make breakfast.  I make dinner, on the rare occasion that we're home in the evening.  I write the shopping lists and plan out the meals.  Which is really nothing new to me.  My mom was the Stay At Home Mom, and we helped her cook quite a bit.  Not always willingly, but my mom made sure that we could plan a meal, follow a recipe, and know our way around the kitchen.  I don't mind cooking, now that I'm not entirely forced to participate.  It just somewhat surprises me how much I don't mind it.

It's not always fancy, but it's definitely edible.  Simple is good.  My girlfriend says I make the best eggs and toast around.  I'm glad she thinks so.