By Trina Machacek

There’s a story going around. It has probably been told over and over again in a few different forms. It goes something like this. An older man who lived alone was having more and more problems seeing from the comfortableness of his Bark-o-lounger to the television in his living room.

The host on this mans favorite game show was slowly dissolving into a gray blob. The man of the story lived by himself and the longer it went on the more concerned he got that his eyesight was taking a hike. So much so that he mentioned it to his son who would come over once a week or so just to check on the old guy. Nice son right? After a discussion about the eye trouble the kid looks around and notices something. He goes into the kitchen, reaches under the sink and gets a dust rag, goes into the living room and dusts the television screen. It’s a miracle. The clear of the day was restored. Oh if everything in life was that easy to fix.

Something along those lines happened recently in my home. Not really with the television. I mean come on I do dust furniture. Occasionally. With Pledge, the Pledge that comes in the yellow can. Sprayed on an old sock turned inside out to grab all the dust I can get in one swipe. While music is blasting throughout my house.

Too much information? Anyway. As I was zipping to and fro gathering dust bunnies and all, I was walking by a mirror on a door that goes into a bathroom. I noticed a speck of something on the mirror. I should tell you that mirrors are not my friend. I tend to avoid them but at the same time I realize they are a necessity. Actually I realized that long ago when I saw a woman exit a restroom at a travel center and her dress was caught up in her panty hose. No underwear! Very revealing for sure. So now I check. Every time!

As I was dusting my abode I walked by this full length mirror and saw a few specks of this and that on it. I took a swipe at it with my dust and Pledge laden old sock. This was a mistake. But! Yes a waxy swiped “but.” Apparently this was one of those “miracle” moments. Even though I have looked in that mirror daily—you know to check that things are all in order.

I never realized just how covered that mirror had become with stuff that clouded and distorted the reflection of myself. Dust is sneaky that way. It has a way of just appearing. This mirror as with most all mirrors is mounted flat. If not on a wall then like this one, on a door. How does dust stick to that? Glass is really slick stuff. Why doesn’t dust just fall to the floor like so many other things that I am continually picking up off the floor?

That swipe? Not a good thing as mirrors are glass and spray wax on an old sock is not happily received by a glass mirror. Which is why I spent the next hour or so with glass cleaner and paper towels going from mirror here and mirror there cleaning not only dust but hair spray, old toothpaste and different specks of stuff. Things that I didn’t even want to know what they were or how they got stuck to my bathroom mirror. Even sometimes needing to use my thumb nail to get stuff off. I do of course know that a mirror can get dirty. Everything gets dirty. But like the old guy and his television I just moved along in life not realizing that things change ever so slowly. Oh they do change though don’t they?

It is so very easy to overlook things as we zippity through life. Apparently I have overlooked the mirrors for quite some time. Will it happen again? Well of course it will. I am under no illusion that I am perfect and I will not always be on top of all things. Keeping life always clean and tidy. I take after my mother in that respect.

The house is clean enough for me and my guests. The meals are good, plentiful and safely prepared. The windows are easily seen through—unless the sun shines on them in the afternoons. That mirrors in my dusty life always reflect things that are important. What else can I hope for? Well hopefully that I never have my clothes stuck up in my CLEAN underwear. Thanks mom.

Trina lives in Eureka. Her funny book, “They Call Me Weener” is available on Amazon.com or email her at itybytrina@yahoo.com to get a signed copy.