Writer's Workshop

What's ailing you? Diagnose yourself with a syndrome.
Here I am, Dr. Gingerbread, diagnosing my current ailment. I have “petpeeve-osis”, and my family is currently doing all in their power to add to the inflammation that my condition is. I need very little to maintain my contentment. I love to walk in my front door, look to my left, and see my living room – it is a dream come true and it is clean. When I see that first, I feel my world is in some kind of order. Then, as I continue on (just one or two steps more) and see my island counter in my kitchen. There is the snag. There is the trouble. There, it seems to be the challenge for all to put, to place, to spill, to pile, to store all that is their’s: all that has another place – in THEIR room. I find keys, college books, business cards, shards of paper with “important” phone numbers, empty cereal containers, can openers, pens, markers, food spills. It just never ends. I have expressed my desires. Now, I do expect that they can use this island. Go ahead, leave your purse there while you get a drink. Go ahead and make your peanut butter and honey sandwich right where it is convenient. But, gosh darn it, put the stuff away. Put your knife in the sink and WASH it. Wipe up your milk spills. Put the container either in the correct can if it is empty, or in our nice and large and well labeled pantry if it is used!
I did have my way, last week. I washed the granite countertop on my island. I further cleaned it with alcohol. I then grabbed the bottle of “Sealer’s Choice” and applied a liberal coating of sealer. I waited until it dried, buffed it again, and then placed a sign on the counter that said “Keep all items off. Just sealed.” I had to remind a few times, but it, basically remained clean. My “petpeeve-osis” was at peace. I had a wonderful 18 hours or so. Now, the next morning, I found it piled high…oh, the pain…the pain!