Immaculate Perception

     I haven't done an exhaustive study on this (I won't do an exhaustive study on anything unless I'm getting paid for it, mainly because of the word exhaust) but I have noticed that people with immaculate homes are annoyed by things that don't bother the rest of us.  Their houses are spotless because they not only spot the spots, but their existence bothers them enough to do something about it.  I, however, may notice and even disapprove of  the presence of, for instance, cobwebs in my home but I generally don't notice them unless I am sitting down and it's hard to remedy the situation and remain sitting down.  I subscribe to Chuck Swindoll's philosophy--Don't sweat the small stuff, followed by, it's all small stuff.
     I would like to think that the trade off for having a less than immaculate home is that I don't come unglued when my husband tracks in the freshly mown lawn or puts greasy car parts on my kitchen counter because being particular about housecleaning and particular about everything else seems to be a package deal.  Fussiness appears to be a trait that cannot be confined to only one aspect of life.  In the early years of our marriage when we were living in small apartments I dusted the inside of the china cabinet and degreased the jars in the spice rack on a monthly basis, but when our first child was 8 months old I had an epiphany.  One morning as I was setting our daughter on our clean living room carpet that was nonetheless covered with a baby blanket and the two toys I selected for her to play with, I realized that pursuing a controlled, orderly life meant she would have a miserable childhood.  She would soon be crawling off that blanket and picking more than two toys at a time and I could make both our lives miserable or I could lighten up and enjoy the chaos.  I chose to lighten up.  For me the road less traveled by was a dirt road and it has made all the difference.
     I decided the world would not end if I let the kids spin the swivel chair in circles (why else would they make them that way?).  When we bought our current house I was delighted to see it had single walls by the fireplace and kitchen that would be fun for children to run around.  Sofa cushions are ideally suited for building forts.  Dog hair is nontoxic.  I select carpeting and furniture based mostly on its dirt hiding potential.  I will never be awarded the Good Housekeeping seal, but I have been rewarded by hearing from visitors that my home is welcoming and comfortable.  Immaculately clean is too close to sterile for my comfort.  If God made the planet out of dirt and man out of dust who are we to disapprove of it?