It surprised me the other day to realize that I am entering my 18th year of being a dishwasher. I started younger than most, at age 6. Upon entering a new household with my evil step-grandmother and her three daughters, I was given the entry-level position of "dish-dryer" under my sister the "dish-washer", which allowed me to see the proper way to wash as well as the location of all the dishes.
One year and several broken dishes later, I was promoted to "dish-washer", and my sister was demoted to dish-dryer. So I took my step-stool over to the other side of the counter and continued my training. So far, I only worked the after-dinner rush, while the rest of the family convened for the evening's entertainment. But soon after I turned 8, I was given the privilege of not only the "dish-washer" and "dish-dryer", but the breakfast, after school, and dinner shifts. So for the next 4 years, I washed dishes before school, after school, and after dinner--sometimes an occasional dessert shift was thrown in. As you can assume, leaving that home meant leaving the position, but I still keep up with my trade in my current line of work.
Needless to say, washing dishes is in the Top 5 of my least favorite activities that I must do each day. Much to the disappoint of my patient boyfriend, the dishes at home, more often than not, stay in the sink. But let this story be a lesson in this truth I have found: being good at something doesn't mean it's what you're meant to do. I might be tempted to burn my hands in scalding, soapy water if I had to wash the rest of my life. I would like to lose the acidic taste in my mouth that comes at the thought of washing dishes, but it can't be avoided. Dishes are dirtied, they must be washed. If anything, it allows me the time to think of all the other things I'd rather do, and make plans to throw in the dish towel.
It's also a lesson in keeping the peace by doing what you're told. As a child, what choice do you have? But as an adult, is it always necessary to keep the peace, to maintain the status quo? I have big dreams and big goals, none of which involve standing at a sink. So the peace will be disturbed as I continue following my dreams. I know this, and others are just going to have to suck it up and get their hands wet when I've moved on. In the meantime, I stare at my dry hands and ruined cuticles to remind me of how far I've already come.
