Cleaning up.....

We recently had some work done in our house, and the workman had to work both in our basement and outside. It took about 2-1/2 hours. This person told me he would come mid-to-late morning, but it turned out to be mid-afternoon before he got here. That was okay, though a phone call would have been nice (I had only phoned that morning, since this was urgent work that had just come up that needed attention).

The guy was really nice, friendly. He had done some work for us a few other times, and there were no problems. He seemed to 'know his stuff' and worked alone, hurrying outside, and then back inside, down the stairs. I think I got tired just seeing him move so quickly! I was working on some things inside.

The job got done, and the guy came inside to tell me what the problem had been, and left.

The next day, my hubby found an instruction booklet meant for us outside, near where the guy had worked! Thankfully, it was fairly dry, as it hadn't rained. I went outside later, and found several things the man had used, and had evidently just tossed them on the ground (wads of tape, cardboard, etc.). In the basement, he also left a (smaller) mess--he'd never asked where our garbage was. Huh??

This wasn't horrible, but yes, it did bug me. I can cut him a little slack, because I think the job took longer than he had expected, and there was no one working with him. And, I'm sure he was tired, running around, so maybe some of this just slipped his mind, such as forgetting about the booklet. But to toss garbage on the ground/floor??? That's just sloppy, IMO. For the record, again, the guy was very nice; pleasant, so this seemed odd.

Anyway, it got me thinking. I don't have the most spotless house, though I think my house is fairly clean. It's hard, as you know, for us to keep up when we don't physically function as well as other people. I began to wonder if the disrespect--intentional or not (I think 'not,' though again, it was pretty sloppy) came from seeing my house wasn't in perfect condition. I don't know--just something that crossed my mind.

BTW, the worker is a distant relative to my M-I-L, so I don't want to complain, and have let it go. Funny, though, my M-I-L is a super neat-nik, and my hubby and his family certainly would never dream of leaving garbage after working for someone else! Has me shaking my head!

Hi puppylover: Yes--trash cans! I hope I'm not sounding too fussy; it's not a major issue, but gosh--how hard would it be to either put the (larger pieces of) trash in his truck, and the smaller pieces in a pocket?

It reminds me of when I go to pick up trash in my neighborhood a couple of times a year, see those soda cans, chip bags, McDonald food containers, etc., and I always wonder why the person didn't just bring them home and put them in the garbage there. Ya gotta wonder sometimes, LOL!

And I guess that's what has me scratching my head: So many good workers work so hard to please people they're working for. We've had other workers here a few years ago that were fantastic about cleaning up, especially the head guy. It speaks volumes about the business, I think.

BTW, the guy also crushed a few decorations with his truck, but I don't think he even saw them. I guess I can understand that, as they weren't exactly "out of range," but that, along with the trash and finding the booklet outside did not make me a very happy camper. I think it's like Aretha said, years ago in a song: "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" That's what it's all about! I'm wondering if the guy wasn't feeling well or something, but he seemed fine.

I use to be married to one of these kinds of workers. He was very sloppy and he was not able to be neat around the house. It was difficult for me to live with him--especially when I had to be the one to pick up the slack--those that I was physically able to do due to my injuries. I began to stop trying so hard at that time to keep our house neat.

Maybe because they work with "dirty" projects, they're not able to think about being neat? My ex didn't appreciate neatness, it seemed he couldn't recognize the benefit of it, and he was raised in a very neat house.

Go figure.

Thank you Sherrine, almost medfree, and AustenFan. Good insights!

Sherrine: Yes, I do wonder what the guy's house looks like! That certainly creates a picture.

almost medfree: That would make sense: because they work with "dirty' projects, they're not able to think about being neat. It's likely not even on their radar screen.

AustenFan: I agree and I think maybe the guy was caught up in the project, didn't know it would take long, and got started late to begin with. He might have forgotten to do several things, especially since he left the instruction manual out on the grass. That was just strange.

Oh, and do I know what you mean about being involved in something and it looking like a tornado went through!
But like you, I always clean up when finished, unless it's something that can't be moved (which is very rare).
People certainly are fascinating in their differences and eccentricities! Who would have thought this nice, polite, friendly guy would leave such a mess? I think maybe that day he might have bit off more than he could chew, and just got overly tired and was ready for the day to end.

This also crossed my mind: fibro fog, maybe? Naw, likely not. He walked much better than I can. :)

Hope you all have a great weekend! :)