Sunday, May 09, 2010

Dishwasher Politics

In our dishwaster, there is a removable compartment with eight sections. That's where we put the silverware -- or I suppose I ought to call it the 'tableware', as there isn't a speck of silver in it, and calling it 'beat up stainless steel ware' sounds so droll.

In the first section, I always put the teaspoons. The next one can't be the soup spoons, to my mind, because the risk of grabbing some from there when I'm taking out the teaspoons is too great. You end up having to individually pull the soup spoons out of the cluster of teaspoons and putting them in the right section in the silverware -- or the 'ware -- drawer. Keeping them separate just makes sense. Saves time. Keeps things orderly.

Not to my wife. She'll happily put the soup spoons right next to the teaspoons, and when she puts them away, she's just careful to only grab one section of spoons at a time. She's willing to take that effort so that she can have the freedom to put them wherever she wants. And if she has to slow down to pick misplaced things out, she will.

Neither of us are libertarians, who'd likely say 'put the damn things all together, so you have to take ten seconds to hunt through the stack when you want something, so what?'

Sometimes -- especially as I'm mulling over the tea party stuff in Utah -- this dishwasher sorting method sounds like an analogy of political stereotypes. At least, to me. Order now, or order later? Order at all, or sort the 'ware as you need it? In other words, what looks reasonable and desirable to me doesn't necessarily look so to someone else. Someone reasonable, in their own right. Like many -- not all, but many -- of the tea party people's main principles. They're not wrong in wanting less debt, smaller government. Where they're wrong is in thinking that we can live that way in this world, where it takes time and money to defend ourselves. As for their attitudes regarding social programs -- well, I can see that, somewhat. It costs a lot. But I think that first I'd like to see some of them voluntarily live without that social net. I'd also like to see them sign a pledge not to use any of the expanded health benefit coverage.

Then we can talk. In the meantime, I'll be over here, loading the dishwasher.

5 comments:

STAG said...

long winded, witty and pointed comment removed because actually its not my place to do so....

Anonymous said...

Afraid I'm the guilty party around my house. I don't cook but cleaning the kitchen and doing the dishes is my job. Some two years ago our portable dishwasher went out. The third one to do so in twenty years. We always replaced them. This time my wife says we don't need one, there's only the two of us. But one of us can mess up more pots and pans and dishes making some simple meal than an army cook. I Finally laid down some rules. If you open a drawer, close it. Open a door, close it. You get the shortening down, put it back. So far I'm the only one following the rule

Cerulean Bill said...

I believe that's known as "setting a good example". Doesn't work with my daughter, either.

STAG said...

Politics is a hot button with me. I am pretty polarized, and it tedious to the people around me.

Cerulean Bill said...

I think it's a hot button for a lot of people. Take the 'tea party', or the gun advocates. I'm amazed when I find out that I actually agree with more than a little of what each of those groups says. But when they are shouting in my face, I shut down. And I lock in my image of them as 'those idiots, not to be trusted', all of that.