Some days the first thought that comes to mind when I wake up in the morning is of the work lined up for the day. Not that it is any different from the previous day’s except for minor variations. Make tea, feed the dog, dump dirty clothes into the washing machine, fill up the dishwasher, make the beds, put the clothes on the line, cook… and then I think, Oh no. Not again! Why? Why?? WHYYYYYYY??????!!! Why do we have to do these same things over and over again every single day? To what purpose?
Do you ever wonder about that? Why we do the things we do? I know the most simplistic and obvious answer to that. So I am NOT looking for answers like, ‘Or my family will go hungry’ ‘They won’t have clean clothes to wear!’ ‘Everyone has to do something!’ ‘Blah, blah and more such blah’. Let me also add that I love the work I have chosen to do. There is nothing in the world I would like to do better than to run my home, so what if it makes me a lowly worm in the eyes of the world, especially those who call themselves ‘working’ women. And no, this is not a call for women to take up housework as their vocation, far from it. I will fight tooth and nail for women’s right to work wherever they wish. At the same time, I would also want them, the ‘working’ women that is, to remember that the right is mine too. But I digress.
So there you have it. I don’t hate my work. So why could I be waking of some mornings and going, Why? Why?? WHYYYYYYY??????!!! It is a thought I have banished to the furthest corner of my mind knowing how dangerous it is to let it run wild. What better time for it to strike back than the early morning hours when I am at my most most vulnerable, not yet having donned the armor to face the day ahead, before I have had that cup of chai?! Why you doing this Shail? Wake up every morning, cook, clean, eat sleep, then wake up, cook, clean, eat, sleep. Why? Why?? WHYYYYYYY??????!!!
Of course I do not have an answer. That’s what’s driving me nuts and which is why I keep the Why? Why?? WHYYYYYYY??????!!! in the remotest corner, to be retrieved only when I want to, when I have the time to dispassionately look at it, turn it every which way, approach it from all angles, and definitely not have it jump at me unexpectedly and rattle me when I am only half awake. Hmmm… Truly speaking this is not a topic I should be rambling about right now, when I am feeling so sleepy. When sleep beckons, I have to stop whatever I am doing and follow it at all costs or else, the nifty customer that it is, it will abandon me for those who will. Then where will I be? Twiddling thumbs and counting sheep Cornered by the banished thoughts in the night too, and going Why? Why?? WHYYYYYYY??????!!! So let me bid you all a hasty goodnight 😉
©Shail Mohan 2015
Shail's Nest 
I understand the “why” as sometimes that question flits through my mind. That is when I say to myself, “Not now, lets do something fun and maybe I will get to those chores later or maybe not at all.” So I call a friend and chat for a while. But I bet we are not the only ones…
I agree. i am sure we are not the only ones 🙂
For a while, I did question the Why? Every now and then I eat my Hubby’s head with what could make it different…but then I still end up doing it. My practical twin just shuts me up now when I start down this path. The joys of multiple minds.
What could make it different? I didn’t get that.
They are all impractical solutions Shailji…I would prefer not having “I have to get up, I have to do this, this, this, etc…today.” instead what I would prefer is “I had enough sleep. I want to do this, this, this today.” The problem with that, is that it doesnt include, going to earn my livelihood, or the typical Housewifely chores I “Have to” do. I dont want to “Have to” in my life, I want to be able to “I want to.”
The realization, that either way – whether I do it with “Have to” or “Want to” it doesnt serve any purpose that I can see in the nearest future within my lifespan. My inside, whatever that thing is that seems to have the question doesnt get a convincing answer for “Purpose”…That makes me very depressed… Especially when I ask others who have wisdom and I get the most mundane rhetoric question “What else would you do? This is your place, and this is your work, so do it.”
See, this the difference I was talking of earlier on on Facebook. Some don’t think on the lines of ‘purpose’ and are quite content with their lives. They don’t feel the restlessness and depression the others feel, those that want more answers in life. 🙂
I feel it, I dont act on it…cause I dont have the guts for it. I see the reason why that particular Shloka from the Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta is famous…I think that was the suicide hotline of that time 😉
Yes. We are all different people, responses also differ.
Which shloka?
The verse Chapter 2.47(LOL! that looks so like I am an evangelist :P)
Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,
Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani
Oh, that one! Thank you.
Lol @evangelist 😛 😀
Ahh… I wanted to make sure before I answered. 🙂 I was not talking about the ‘have to’ of the situation, but about why we as humanity go about our lives, my own routine being just an example. 🙂
I think , I know the partial answer. And that is, when you ‘have to’ do something ,you want to do something else more badly (in your case I safely guess it is reading , writing blog posts, having a good time with Luci muci…) so you finish the ‘have to’ work and eagerly jump on ‘want to’ work.
Imagine if there had been no ‘have to’ ,there would not be so much of enjoyment and relatively superior joy in ‘want to’ jobs.
I know, it is a clichéd argument but sounds convincing to me.
No. Actually you didn’t get that, Kirti. You are way off mark. 🙂 Like I said, I LOVE my work, even the ‘have to do’ one. The ‘why’ is about other things, what purpose it all serves. Perhaps you have not yet reached that stage of thinking? 😉
Yaaa, I guess I am yet to reach there. I will get back to you once I reach there, meanwhile I hope you would have found the answers to why ,so that I get a ready made answer from you . 🙂 😉
Lol, sorry Kirti. You will have to look to the scientists for an answer to that one 😉
When I think about it…I too love what I am doing at home! Otherwise I won’t think about different types of cooking and see that they are tasty! I think I love cooking too! I was working long back and stopped after my second baby! I don’t regret! Now, blogging hobby is here to occupy my free time! I am not bored at all!
I think the greatest thing is that we are doing what we love. Not everyone can say that. Some are forced to cook when they don’t want to. Others are forced to work in jobs they have no interest in at all. 🙂
The whys are very well placed. But then, we don’t always have the answer to them; this is why they are called whys. Oops. plans to run before you frown at my idiocy 😀
Lol. That’s ulta, Debo. You are approaching ‘why’ from the wrong end 😛 😉
I love the work that I have chosen to do too. But sometimes it gets monotonous, like any thing, but which I would still not trade for anything else..and that is when I find myself asking too..WHY? Guess the answer lies in reordering my work and bringing in some kind of variety to the schedule? I dont know. Maybe or maybe not.
*Plans to run too before Shail gives a “get lost” look 😛
Lol. There, you are way off too. The ‘why’ is not the result of my work being monotonous. That why is easy to answer. everyone has to do something, so we do what we have chosen to do, monotonous or not.
This why refers to all of humankind viewed from my perspective. Why do we humans scurry about doing what we do? What’s the reason and purpose for it? That’s different from being bored with what you do any particular day, isn’t it? 😀
The thing is to keep asking the questions, even if the answers don’t come ‘pat’ 🙂
So I guess when we question and ramble, it’s part of it all. Do you WANT to find an answer is something I wonder about (read I ) 🙂 🙂
That said, I love the why here, because instantly I get to that thingy we ask hereabouts in my home – all started by Neeti, who would calm her emotional Leo saying Why Ashwin Why!!! It’s been quickly adopted by all of us, to each other 😛 😛
So,why Shail, why… all this early in the morning? 😛 😛 Mwah! And hugs! Love ya 🙂 ❤
Yes!! Ramblings are indeed a part of looking for answers. 🙂 And believe me I do want to find the answer. I welcome them whether they provide succor or show me a bleak scenario. Either way they give me peace. 🙂
Lol, I loved how you have adopted Neeti’s question. I can just imagine a “Why Amma Why!!!” 😛 😀 😀
Love ya too ❤
^Ditto. If we don’t question with “why”, we’ll never know or understand the reasoning behind such things.
LOL Usha…love the Why Ashwin Why ?? 😀 😀
I got tired just reading about all this
Since I was totally addicted to cooking and cleaning, those questions never bothered me then !!
Now, since I am running from office to home and vice versa, those questions on cooking, washing and cleaning hound me and I answer myself -that I’ll go hungry if I don’t cook 😛 😛
The EverydayChore whys don’t bother me much
What bugs me more is Life’s asli sach
Bordering on philosophy
Which ain’t my cup of tea
And sometimes i feel God is SUCH a crutch!