Yellow Jacket Times - Jefferson County Public Schools

Laundry
Alyssa Allen
I can remember watching my mom fold laundry when I was younger. Making it all neat, leaving no
creases and having everything done in no time. I would be amazed at what she was doing, how nice and
smooth everything came out at the end. Growing up, I was always fascinated at the work my mother would do
and how it would come out perfectly, and if not perfect, it was surely close. It wasn’t until my sophomore year
in high school that I learned practice makes perfect; anything you do with life comes out equal to your
dedication and the work you put into it.
It wasn’t until I was made to fold laundry, do the dishes and sweep and mop that I found out all that
stuff wasn’t all a piece of cake and fun to do. Back when my mother was doing it, you wouldn’t hear
complaint one from her, even when it was trying to match those socks that all look alike but have that one
certain feature that can throw someone off completely. It was a weekly choir that just had to be done. It took
a while for me to complete when I went from watching to actually doing.
I would always be told, “If you don’t do it right, you will start all over,” forcing me to have to do my
best. There were a few times when I was made to do it over, causing me to learn from my mistakes, where I
needed to fix them and make that change for the better. I can remember the time I was made to thoroughly
clean my room and and make my bed. The next day, after school, I was surprised by a room that had been
bombarded by my mother. She took everything out that wasn’t in its right place and put in it the middle of my
floor. She left it there for me to re-clean. Next time I had to do that chore again I made sure everything was
close to perfect; just the thought of redoing something gave me the motivation it took in order to get things
done right.
I hated everything about learning to clean the right way. From weed-eating and mowing the lawn, to
the sweeping and mopping of the kitchen floor, I had nothing but smart remarks and grunting noises the
whole time I was doing it. I never have grown to like chores; I moan at the thought of chores period. But never
has my complaining gotten me off of what it was I had to do; I never had a choice and it never mattered how I
felt that day whether I was going to do it or not. I had to learn that it wasn’t whether I wanted it done, but
that it had to get done.
One can compare education to chores, because, just like any teen, we don’t want to be tied down to
household activities, along with classes and homework. Our dream isn’t to do what’s boring, but what’s fun
and exciting; something that keeps our attention for a short amount of time. But you do it anyways with the
knowledge that a household chore needs to be done in order for your home to be lovely and clean. Education
is needed to reach your future goals successfully. So you need to work hard in both things, making sure you do
it right so you don’t have to back track and redo what you worked hard for already. If you learn from what
you’re doing, you will make yourself better in the long run. I work hard and put dedication into what it is I’m
doing so I can show off what I worked hard on.