h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

all my exams are done, i've had my birthday, my parents and brother have gone away for a few days, and i'm going out with this guy tommorow. why aren't I happy? It's all in my mind, perhaps i would be happy if i want to be, but who doesn't want to be happy?! parents will be back (with unruly brother in tow) somewhen this evening, i have tidied the house, hoovered, cleaned, and put the washing machine on seven times! I am now overseeing dinner, taking things out of the dryer (bad rain all weekend, so no drying on the line)whilst typing here, whew! actually that makes me feel quite content. odd. I'm getting happier, i hope they notice how much work i've done. I've almost done nothing else! (neccesetated in part by someone hiding the remote control, i suspect the mother lol) I literaly spent all day saturday tiding, apart from a few hours when i went to my aunt's for sunday dinner, then i came home, did more washing, more cleaning, watched tv for a little while, had a bath and went to bed. today i got up early - 9:00! (that's early for me when i'm not going anywhere) and spent the morning washing and going to the supermarket for food. this afternoon i spent an hour on the computer, then i tidied my room, (and threw some things away!) did more washing, more washing, more washing, put the dinner on, and here i am, hang on, better stir said dinner... and take the stuff out of the machine...

actually am happy! bizzare that menial work could be so satisfieing (can't spell, but who cares) maybe all i needed was to reflect on what i had achieved!...

Traveller in Time only doing one wash per day
"Sounds as if you have done a Quicks worth of work

Surely someone (your mother) will notice "

Hi Hannah yes i think i know what you mean. the kinda therapy of doing lots of things round the house on your own can be oddly re-invigorating and therapeutic and can give quite a sense of 'job satisfaction'. sometimes also when in this 'mode' the more you do the more things you find to do and want to do almost as if you are getting drunk on the enthusiasm for achieving things. maybe you 'fell into' doing these things almost without intending to or realizing it then because they gained a momentum of their own you ended up doing far more than you ever envisaged and enjoying it! its strange really - maybe your deciding for yourself to do it all because you were on your own is the reason ? when i'm doing my ecdl computer study every night so as to meet the exam deadline i get fed up with being made to use my brain, and i start wandering around watering things in the garden, them i spot some untidy leaves, and in a fit of 'must do' enthusiasm clear them up and then notice how tidy thats made the patio look and before i know it iv'e done four satisfying hours hard work in the garden. why are we made like this? i mean cleaning and tidying aren't fun are they? see you friday