Have you ever assembled your bed, or made a swing for your back yard or made shelves for your garage? If yes, then you would agree that the satisfaction is priceless. Before coming here, I used to watch many shows on DIY and would admire the extensive range of supplies they used. But after coming here, I saw all of that with my eyes what I used to see in shows. Stores like Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, and Joann are a few of the popular craft stores here. You will find tons of DIY(do-it-yourself) material there. Whatever you can think of, you will find in these stores. Starting from papercrafts to sewing and stitching, you name it, and it will be there. It will make your head spin exploring the isle. Before beginning any project, we have an image of the finished piece. When we get what we are looking for, then we see our imagination taking its shape. And that adds up to the motivation level.

 

 

Going by the definition of DIY – do-it-yourself then, I would say in the west; everything is “do-it-yourself.” If the earlier description sounded exciting, then this definition is not very fancy-sounding. Starting from getting milk from your first cup of morning tea/coffee or keeping your house clean, everything you have to do it by yourself. We don’t have household help (Bai/maid) to dust or mop our rooms or clean the dishes. Everything has to be done by us. When people come to the USA, this is the second biggest thing after loneliness (that we will talk later in this series) that they find it hard to adjust. We are so used to someone else coming for all this, that fitting this chore in our daily routine looks challenging. Many newcomers complain that they are not able to understand how to find extra time? Most of the day is gone cleaning and keeping the house clean. There is no time left for doing anything else. And this is not just for one day or two. It’s forever. In such a situation, it is very natural to have such a feeling.

 

So, did I face anything similar to this? No. I haven’t experienced any such challenge. Was I used to doing all this? Of course not. I am not exaggerating. Then, why was I okay with it? It wasn’t about being okay or not okay. It was about accepting it and then diving your time accordingly. When I knew that there would not be any maid coming to help me, then why should I let the dishes sit in the sink for long? Why should I wait for the work to pile up when I knew that we have to clean it by ourselves? Initially, it is easy as only two people are there, but once kids come in the picture, then our time is already divided into different sections. And on top of that, if we are not able to finish household chores, then how are we going to be with our family?

 

My mantra till date is – don’t let the work pile up. Because if you keep postponing it, then no one will be at a loss, but only you. So, it is always better to do it then and there. These days, we all are facing a tough situation when we have to run the show single-handedly. I see my friends saying that because of the lock-down, cleaning ladies are also not coming, and they end up doing all the chores. Long time back, I have written a post on things I miss being away from India. Having house help was one of them. But today, I feel that am I blessed to have the habit of doing these chores as a routine activity here?

 

After all, we create luxuries for ourselves. We all want a relaxed life, but doing things on our own has its benefits. We learn something, and, are not dependent on others. Once the situation gets back to normal, and when you will remember this time, this definition of DIY, and how self-sufficient you have become, I am sure you will feel proud of yourself. 

 

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z. My theme is “Dollar Nation-Are you ready to experience the West through my eyes?”

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