Now, where have I read this before???

Before blogging about how I lost my mobile, let me mention this article that I came across in one of these women mags in the flight. The article was about "Spring: Clean your winter blues"...aha! Spring has ultimately arrived. Now Spring, in our part of the world is very short lived indeed, and so is the guilt of "not" cleaning up. Do you feel guilty yet, with the arrival of spring that is? If not, you apparently dont read women's magazines. Every Feb-Mar editions of these magazines are packed with "clean up and organize your life" articles. Stories with catchy titles like "Spring Into Action -- Tidy Up Your House". Or "Wash Away Winter Blues". In short what it means is ... Banish Clutter Now; Otherwise We'll Keep Torturing You With Articles Meant to Make you Feel Like A Slothful Bum.

Personally, I'd rather love to read something on the line of... Why Clean In The First Place? It Will Only Get Dirty Again Tomorrow. Alas, these women mags are just not my taste!

While reading the article trying to supress my yawn, I wondered why do magazines publish such articles? Because every spring zillions of women have the same response: Guilt. Guilt quickly followed by a spending spree on periodicals and cleaning supplies. They grab every magazine in the town and, in a fit of post-New Year's resolution fervor, vow to give a make-over to their homes in Twinkle Khanna style! But do these articles help? Hahahaha. Pardon me -- I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were serious. All these stories share one fatal flaw ... apart from the fact that they relate to boring housework. The problem is, they are all the same article. It's hard to believe, but true. While our film directors are expected to vary their offerinngs atleast slightly from one movie to another, authors specializing in the spring cleaning genre recycle the same 100 or so tips year after year after year!!! Injustice, I say!

Just a month ago archaeologists, who were excavating a cave somewhere in Europe, discovered a minute remnant of what they believe to be the world's first spring cleaning advise. The very few words they managed to unearth are as vital today as they were way back in those Era: "Hose down dinosaur dung." In fact, those exact words appeared in several magazines sold this very year. Sadly, though, the original author had a lousy lawyer and never got a penny in royalties. Moreover, Biblical historians are convinced that the Old Testament contained at least two chapters filled with spring cleaning counsel. Alas, only a small fragment remains today: "Slaughter Red Sea stains with..." If only we knew what came next.

Over the years women have dominated the spring cleaning literature, and men didnt get a slightest chance of breaking in. Now, feminists have something in their kitty to feel proud of. I have heard that even Shakespearre is said to have never recovered from the rejection of his "To Clean Or Not To Clean. That is the Question" syndromme. Out of sheer frustation he came up with "To Be Or Not To Be. That is the Question" edition. So you see, while Shakespeare was forced to explore other writing avenues, women's writing has always bloomed with the cleaning rites of spring. Who can forget Louisa May Alcott's charming novel which begins "Springtime won't be springtime without cleaning supplies."

Just once I would like to see a spring cleaning article in a men's magazine. Until I do, I refuse to let a magazine article induce me to scrub, mop, or sweep.