HELEN HOLMES, writer
"Mess: The case for being a slob
Published: July 11, 2018 from NYT Magazine https://ift.tt/2u9ZC7Y via IFTTT
"I am a slob with a hoarder's affinity for trash . . . . Cultivating an environment that's actively repellent to everyone except its occupant seems like an option that's more accessible to men than to women -- a decision antithetical to conventionally-agreed-upon feminine objectives. Every time I observe a woman gliding agreeably through life like a stewardess on an endless flight, modestly dressed and smiling ruefully to deflect any presumption that her existence is anything other than morally and aesthetically impeccable, I'm reminded of the enormous pressure placed on those of us who aren't men to construct an identity that falls within the limits of acceptable behavior. . . . Imagine what you could accomplish if you stopped hearing the hiss of an invisible audience every time you let dishes pile up in the sink! Accept that a bed covered with dirty laundry and wet beach towels says nothing about the worth or the competence of its occupant, and allow yourself to feel unburdened."
