Who am I? I am the cleaning lady. Some might wonder if that anonymous term is, in itself, an oxymoron. Can you clean ungodly things from a stranger’s toilet (with no gloves) on your knees and still be a lady? It is without question one of the “lower” jobs I can imagine. It is dirty, doesn’t pay that well, is physically exhausting, doesn’t really require much of an education, and is the type of job in which some people just look through you-- as if you are a non-person. Being a somewhat attractive, poised, educated, and “well-bred” woman, that is not something I ever experienced before.
What those people don’t know is that I have lived on the other side. I had one of those big suburban homes with the huge walk-in closets, a manicured yard, manicured nails. I was a homemaker, though I will say I never would have had someone else clean my house! I was probably one of the many who didn’t have to think too much about the people with the common jobs, and didn’t really know anyone like that. I was never wealthy, and try as I might, I couldn’t ever fit into that world. It was very empty and shallow, and, especially if you weren’t a mom, you were not really part of the club-- the “Suburban Mom Club.”
That being said, I didn’t ever imagine I would be on the other side, so to speak. I sometimes wonder if my ex’s, who are kind of full of themselves, know what I’m doing. I actually wish they did because it proves that I am strong and determined, don’t care what most people think of me, and am happier than I ever was with them!
But experiencing this side, coupled with my previous life, reveals so many truths about life and the people who occupy it. The anonymity of being a cleaning lady allows you to see and hear everything. I never snoop, but some people just leave all their personal items out for everyone to see. Well, I imagine they would put them away if company were coming, but for the help? No. And they talk to each other (right in front of you!) in ways that you would think might be embarrassing-- if anyone “important” could hear them. Oh, yes-- I have many stories to share! What I have noticed, though, is that not all people look through you. Some of my customers are the kindest, more respectful, and self-respecting people I know. They treat me like a person! And the way people treat “the cleaning lady” really says more about their character than it does about mine. And, yes, you can be a lady while you clean toilets.
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