Confessions of a Cleaning Lady

The one with the Fox News Network

Sometimes you think you know what you need to know about someone. Sometimes that knowledge is incomplete. Then again, sometimes people are like an open book. I digress...

Today we cleaned a house wherein dwells a Trump supporter.

Which in and of itself can be any number of people or ideologies, but this particular kind of Trump supporter is in my opinion one of the most lecherous. The rich-white-male- privileged hypocrite.

The kind who thinks the white race is in danger of extinction, "Because if you're a white male in this country you'll be the last to be accepted to any good colleges or hired for a job anymore because everyone gotta be politically correct and hire a so-called minority first. (Keep in mind though, he is most definitely NOT racist, he's got black friends)

***deep breath***

"And nowadays women get an advantage in workplace dynamics because since that "me too" thing everyone's scared to even TALK to a woman around work anymore, ya know?" (Keep in mind though he is definitely NOT sexist, he's fine with the fact that his wife has always worked, even when their kids were little!).

He's the type of Trump supporter who thinks it's only fitting that kids are separated from their parents when they cross the border illegally. "I mean hell, if you're gonna come here illegally with your kids you're gonna have to expect that to happen! Some of 'em even bring 'em on purpose knowing they're gonna get 'em taken away so they can make a big stink out of it!" (Keep in mind though he is definitely NOT anti-immigration, so long as everyone comes here legally and can be useful for the rest of us!).

So one who knows me might assume I dislike this man (we'll call him Dingus), and you'd be partially correct. I do not like him. But if we lived in a world where politics hadn't knocked up people's human decency and then left it cash for an abortion I might like him. So in a tiny place within my conscience I don't dislike him. Plus it's like I tell my kids all the time, don't hate people, it's bad for you. Like drinking too much soda. Or not using sunscreen.

We arrive at the home of Dingus at the same time on the same day for the most part. Fox news is on without fail, and his wife (I'll call her Mary. Cause' I like that name) is working away at the computer next to the kitchen.

She's a busy lady, always getting some more work done and calls made before she darts out the door usually around 9 am.

She has a lovely sense of humor. I gather from her sporadic commentary of the happenings on Fox news that she's a fairly moderate republican. I don't know that for sure, but her commentary is certainly of a different tone than Dingus for whatever that may mean. We've had brief conversations (Lou, Mary, and I) that ended in belly laughter from all of us, so I quite enjoy her company while she's there.

Which is why I was bummed but pleasantly surprised to hear she was going back to school to get an MFA for creative writing. Turns out she's a poet. (This of course made me like her even more. She was already an interesting lady, now I was fighting the downright nosy urge to pry into her business.)

She turned out to be very forthcoming with her motivations and interests in literature and poetry. Obtaining an advanced degree for the subject that motivated her passions most was on her bucket list. This lady has raised now grown children and built a successful career. She could retire and sun herself by their exclusive neighborhood pool all day if she wanted to, and the days on which it rains she could spend inordinate amounts of money at the posh mall down the street from her house. She has chosen the path less traveled.

Funny thing is, I have no idea what Dingus actually does for a living. He's usually still in his giant bathrobe when we arrive.

Did I mention he's probably 400 pounds, or thereabouts?

Not that this should matter in any way shape or form with relation to his person. Being big absolutely doesn't make him somehow unlikeable. His personality does. I only felt I should include this detail to allow you to better visualize what I get to see. He's balding too. And lugging around all that weight makes him sweat a lot.

Adversely, his wife is a thin and attractive middle aged woman who seems to take pretty good care of herself. It's a mystery what happened, but there it is.

So yeah, what Dingus does for a living is also a mystery. He has some sort of office/studio with recording equipment and lots of monitors and things so I'm assuming it's musically related. I also know he went to an inordinately expensive private all boy's school, as did his father and his grandfather, who were both doctors of some sort. His kids went to this ridiculously expensive private school as well so money comes from somewhere in that little circle of privilege, I'm just unclear of it's origins.

I think my point in all this illustration of a life shared by two oddly paired people is that sometimes you really do know what's going on with a person even before they tell you about themselves, confirming your assumptions to a point at least.

But what you don't know sometimes is why that person is loved. I don't mean love like parental love or anything like that, I mean "l want to marry you, have your babies, and grow old with you" kind of love. I suppose that's what makes me even just a little optimistic about the future of this increasingly divided train wreck of a society we're living in right now. Maybe regardless of your opinion (or especially regardless of mine) that's what's gonna save us in the end.