A man visiting his father for the first time since the unexpected death of his mother said he was frightened by the state of affairs in the house. He said that though his father sounded upbeat, and generally well on the phone, the house told a different story. Most of the toilets had been turned off to prevent 'water waste'. The refrigerator was largely empty. The cable service had lapsed. He said his father ate off the same plate on a daily basis, simply rinsing it and setting it beside the sink after each use. Most of the oft used rooms, the living and dining areas, were cloaked in a thin layer of dust and did not appear to have been used. He said that most frightening was the back porch where he'd come for many weekend barbecues and where he remembered all the life and activity in the house coming from. Finding it in a quite sorry state, he asked his father if he'd even been out there in recent months.
He said his father had replied, "I guess not. Why? What's out there?"
Monday, May 23, 2005
Man's Father Succumbs To Utilitarianism
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3 comments:
It's all about different priorities. A man will reduce life to the minimum of necessities without a woman to concentrate his mind on "what matters". ;)
You have to admire the courage of man who only rinses his plate.
Oh dear. He's gone right from grieving into depression. Although my son does the plate thing himself on the week he's supposed to do the dishes. On my week, I think he uses every dish we have. Makes me think maybe he should do the dishes ALL the time. :D
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