I was recently watching a show depicted in the times before we had electricity. It was interesting to think about how different housekeeping was back then.
In order to get the most out of your day, you had to get up with the sun. That meant rising pretty early. And the work didn’t end until the sun went down.
I was thinking about how even back then, women kept a schedule. They knew when their day would begin and when it would end. They scheduled their housekeeping according to the different seasons.
But they also set aside certain tasks on specific days. For instance, there was usually just one day a week where they would make a trip into town to purchase necessary items. The distance and lack of transportation didn’t afford them the luxury I have of going to the store whenever I want.
Actually, now that I think about it, it probably makes more sense to schedule one day for running errands and shopping. I probably waste a lot of gas and time making several trips throughout the week.
There were also days set aside where they would focus on cleaning, washing, sewing, ironing and so on. The point is that there was a sense of order. While much of this probably stemmed from necessity, we could probably benefit from the same.
Today, our lives seem to be so much more haphazard. I hardly know a woman who sets aside one specific day to do her grocery shopping. It tends to be a “whenever I can get there” trip.
Or a friend of mine who decides each day what she is going to make, goes to the store after work and then cooks. That means five to potentially seven trips a week to the grocery store.
And cleaning? Well, today it seems that whenever cleaning can be squeezed in, it gets done. Or laundry? Not done until the last pair of underwear has been worn.
While we may look at the “old days” as being more difficult, I actually think we have it more difficult today. Despite our modern “conveniences” we seem to have less time for the tasks at home. And rest? Forget about it. Who has time for that?
Back then Sundays were set aside to rest. Many people attended church. But they at least took the time to make one day a week a time where they could recharge and unwind. Who does that today? Not too many people.
I’m starting to think those women back then knew a lot more about keeping a home than maybe we do today.
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Photo by Misserion in Flickr