A new coach, very effective too

On a cold December morning,I got out of home with broom in hand to clear the debris in my garden .I looked surrepticiously in all directions, making sure no one was noticing me. Armed with the comforting thought that I was alone, I quickly took charge and focussed on the enforced task at hand.The gardener had a bereavement in his family and was away from work for a few days.

Later that afternoon on reflecting on my action ,I concluded that sweeping was a”lowly” task and the shame of being seen, doing the work ,was the key deterrent for me to undertake the task, even though it was my own garden! Where did this feeling come from? Probably from the experience of living with the practice of getting the job done by domestic help. I had a deeply entrenched belief that this task was not for me. With the COVID19 driven lockdown I now sweep my garden with aplomb, brandishing my broom with a new found confidence! My neighbours and friends too undertake domestic tasks and we confidently accept the same as our own willing contribution to cleanliness & hygiene. A collective wisdom widely self publicised. How did this happen? Universal acceptance of reality? The newly imposed “work from home” culture during these tough times, has seen “cutting vegetables; enhancing the life of metallic & ceramic objects” (an euphemism for sweeping, mopping and washing dishes). turning into  shared tasks. Neighbours and friends proudly exhibit their fingers dressed in Band Aid, arising out of  a “new found passion for cutting vegetables”.These are all  honourable tasks now. We universally support payment of wages despite the absence, of our faithful domestic staff, as an act of compassion and social justice. Umm…where did that come from?Genuine or keeping up with the Jones’s?Or is it a transformation and comes out of Gratitude ? “Covid19 has changed our attitude and we have changed for the better”  is the universal new learning. The reality is our awareness that we held onto our dubious learnings, passed on from childhood.Domestic help are cheap in India and can be afforded. Our condescending attitude towards them moulded by their financial dependence on us. Arrogance,ego as drivers? In a different environment viz.USA, Europe where domestic help is costly, the same human carries out all domestic chores outlined with vacuum cleaners,dish washers and even Robots. Manual execution is not an issue either!What causes this change?Is it entirely driven by monetary circumstances? Or /And is it respect and acknowledgement of "dignity of labour" ? Covid ..transformed us by facilitating our journey to discover our options and bring out our maximum personal potential!  A natural Coach indeed..that too invisible!