Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for June 19, 2019

Calvin is proof that self-awareness doesn’t always lead to self-improvement.

I just know this isn’t the arc where Calvin makes the duplicator nor the one where he attempted to make a room-cleaning robot made of Tinker Toys and a coffee can.

Remember when you had to put up with this as a kid?

Stop you’re griping and get to it. You can sulk with what’s left over.

Griping is an essential part of the process.

It may be your room Calvin, but it’s in their house. Til you’re ready to make part of the house payment they can dictate how you keep your room.

Calvin, Hobbes sleeps in your bed, he helps with your homework, he should help you clean the room too.

I call this the “Beetle Bailey” syndrome: doing more work to avoid work than the work actually involves. It is rampant in many segments of society.

This approach continues right into adult life.

Hell, in the military if you don’t complain vociferously when they assign you to a modest detail, they heap more and more work upon you until you collapse under the weight. The work isn’t assigned so it gets done, it’s assigned to make you miserable. Once you indicate you are miserable, they figure you have enough assigned to you.

In that hour, you could be done with it, Calvin!

I used to put on a record (remember those?) or turn on the radio, and see how much I could accomplish before the song ended. Today, I set the timer of five or ten minutes and try to uncover the kitchen counter – or the dining room table. I swear there are things on that table I’ve never seen before in my life! Pixies! I blame it all on pixies.

I would tell my kids that I wanted to see bare floors in their rooms. And I would. Then I’d take a broom and pull all the toys out from under the beds and we’d start all over again.

True dat, Cal. Griping is indeed hard work!

I see a future libertarian…

Well Calvin complain and clean room.

The fine art of Prolonging the Agony.

I take a certain pleasure in seeing Calvin suffer the consequences of his actions and attitude.

We tried with No1 Son, as a child, to get him to spend 5-10 minute increments putting things away. Nothing worked. He appeared to be a hoarder-in-training. I finally told him – no food in the room, pick up your books, no wet towels on the floor, close the door, and don’t expect me to do your laundry if you don’t bring it to the laundry room.

When he was in high school, without our realizing it, some of his friends tried to do an intervention. They descended on him, and cleaned up his room. Important things got lost – most notably his grandfather’s wristwatch. We suspect one of his friends threw it in the trash because the watch band was broken. He was devastated, and driven deeper down his personal rabbit hole.

Years later, at 25, he rearranged his whole life, and became more organized. He is a creator, and like many, sterile space stifles his thought process. A certain amount of chaos is necessary. Finding the right balance is a challenge.

I used to clean up my room first and do the griping afterward – more efficient.

Calvin and I have something in common.

My first wife took an extraordinary amount of time to do tasks she disliked, because she had to gripe about it first. I on the other hand, take a very long time to do tasks I dislike because I have to sit here and type while girding my loins and preparing to actually get started.

That is the power of patience and good habits that parents want Calvin to learn.

Don’t forget, Calvin, you also hear “Take out the trash.”