Living with my brothers.

Maturity means washing the dishes, taking out the garbage, caring if the bathroom stinks and knowing how hard it would be to get rid of cockroaches/mice if they ever found this feasting place. I know that everyone has to learn these lessons individually, but it certainly requires patience, because I certainly will not give in and wash everyone’s dishes just because I’m the only one who cares that there are 5 days worth of dishes from 5 people sitting on two tables, every counter and the stove. The obvious solution would be to lock up some dishes (3 people contributed to the dish collection so that there are in excess of 20 of every kitchen utensil). Maturity would be not opening that cupboard and instead washing some dishes when you can’t find any clean ones. Living is not difficult, but it takes teamwork. There are more than 100 bottles sitting on the back deck, piles of trash in the kitchen, dust and piss on the bathroom floor and dust throughout the house. Of course not doing chores certainly has freed up more time for relaxing. I’m exaggerating slightly, because since I didn’t have absolute patience, I have washed a large number of dishes, and either set an example or made people feel sorry for me so that for the last 3 days since I returned from Switzerland, the kitchen has been ok. Bathroom is still bad.

Maturity is realizing that cleanliness is only one lifestyle choice, and having an open mind to other choices is necessary and desirable.