My Life is a Dirty Carpet

I was shampooing the carpets in my basement bedroom last night and as I sat there methodically pushing and pulling that steam cleaner across the floor, listening to the roar of the engine, I found myself thinking a lot. It took me a good hour and a half to finish the floor, and during that time I started comparing my dirty floor to my life. Let me explain…

I bought this house a few months back and on the surface, the basement carpet looked in really good condition for the age of the house. No stains, no foul smells, and the fibers were still fluffy and vibrant. I moved in and started living my life on this carpet and that’s when it all started to change. One by one the stains came…dogs, muddy boots, and paint. I try to cover them up with rugs; try to scrub them out with stain removers. Then on top of the stains, there starts to be this unmistakable odor that permeates through the room. I buy more air fresheners; I light candles to mask the smell. But in the back of my mind, I always know there is something wrong with the carpet…it’s not fresh and vibrant anymore. I try to ignore it…I close the bedroom door so none of my guests know the hidden secret that lies in the basement. I consider the costs of replacing the carpet all together and starting with a clean slate. But ultimately, I resort to the hard work of cleaning the carpet. 

I borrow the steam cleaner, I buy the formula, and I read the instructions so I don’t miss a step. I move all the furniture, I vacuum the carpet first. I begin this long, laborious task and slowly I start to feel good about the results. After the first few passes of the cleaner, there isn’t much change. The stains are still there, the odors still smell. But after a while, I start to notice the color of the water. It’s gross. The cleaner is doing its job and the dirt and grime is starting to be cleaned away. After about half of the room is completed, I realized just how dirty the carpet really was. There was stuff being removed that I never knew was there. There were stains that were not even visible to the naked eye that were being washed away. And the best part…the room was starting to smell clean. 

I was feeling very accomplished by the time I was finishing up the room. Then a thought hit me…I can’t keep the carpet this clean forever. As soon as I step foot on it, it will start getting dirty again. The dogs are going to come back down here and they are going to make messes on my clean carpet. I was starting to get anxious, when I remembered that I can always clean it again. There is nothing that life can throw at me, no amount of piss or mud that the CLEANER can’t remove. I know it seems kinda cheesy, but this metaphor brought me comfort last night.