mum's motto

Funny the things that come to mind at the oddest moments.

As I wrote earlier, today's sole evidence of productivity has been clean washing. (Before you think the worst of my lazy ways, I also went grocery shopping and cooked tea. Does that redeem me?)

I brought in the towels and sheets, semi-folded, and dumped them on the bed, planning to put them away later. In that instant "mum's motto" came to mind: Don't put it down, put it away!

At some point in our teenage years, Mum's patience with our mess reached its limits. "No more ," she declared, as she instigated a new family motto (if we even had one).

I don't think it really stuck. We thought it was a bit ridiculous - you can declare a motto, but unless the team own it, it means nothing. This was one of those mottos. I don't remember that it made a huge amount of difference to our overall tidyness, though I can recall Mum rallying the troops with her catch cry on one or two occassions.

Whatever it's impact at the time, fifteen years later, like a vision from the past, Mum entered the room saying "Don't put it down, put it away!" I dutifully turned back into the room, folded the linen neatly and stowed it away correctly.

Funny the things that come to mind at the oddest moments.
Even funnier the influence they can exert over behaviour!