Saturday, April 17, 2010

GOOD ENOUGH

I hate perfectionists. They take way too long to do things. They waste precious time refining things. They do WAY too much research. They are finicky, fussy, and fastidious. Striving for perfection takes a lot of energy, and we all know that in this day and age, energy conservation is of the essence! Do you admire perfection? Well, STOP IT! Calm down, and set your sights just a bit lower. You will heave a sigh of relief, most likely extend your life span, and significantly reduce headaches and lower back pain. Here are some things you might want to consider:

Quit all that cooking from scratch! The microwave and freezer were invented a long time ago! Research has shown that nine out of ten family members PREFER Stouffer’s frozen macaroni and cheese to the stuff made from a recipe! Do you feel guilty about using cake mix and instant pudding? Get over it! Those products were developed by researchers who used focus groups to determine that these foods taste GOOD ENOUGH.

And really, “a house so clean that you could eat off the floor” is JUST AN EXPRESSION. No one in their right minds would ever want to eat off a floor! So why clean it so much? A light film of dust is not even really noticeable. Dusty furniture and floors have never been proven to be a health hazard. As long as you can walk in your house without having to wash your feet afterwards, your house is CLEAN ENOUGH.

All the women in fashion magazines don’t really look that good in real life. The airbrush was invented to erase any pore, pimple, or pooch on those women. And we all know that they aren’t allowed to eat anything. So aspiring to THAT level of perfection is pointless. With a little lip gloss, some mascara, and good foundation garments, you look PRETTY ENOUGH.

Workouts and low cholesterol diets won’t prevent everything. We all have to go sometime. It is a good idea to walk on the treadmill instead of using it as a towel bar, and cardio vascular fitness is nothing to sniff at. But in actuality, if you can get around without a cane, walk your dog in the park, lift a bag of groceries, go up the stairs, and sleep at night, then you are HEALTHY ENOUGH.

Love stories on television and in the movies are purely for entertainment. Real couples have fights, get bored, find each other annoying, and have second thoughts. And this is just during the honeymoon! If you manage to stay married to one person for longer that a few years without murdering him/her, and if you still manage to have a few laughs, hold hands, and share private jokes, you are HAPPY ENOUGH.

Wake up and smell the coffee! And for Pete’s sake, you DON’T HAVE TO GRIND IT YOURSELF!

15 comments:

  1. Hahahahaha!! So true! "Good enough for government work" is my motto! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I subscribe to the "good enough" view of life as well (especially in the housekeeping and health areas). Thank you for making me feel good enough as I am!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Amen!! I have good bloggy friends that have mills to grind their own wheat. I'm. Not. Kidding. Cracks me up.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ooh that hurt, a perfectionist in some areas - the kitchen however not being one of them. As always a great, fun post, thanks for another glimpse into life at the Campbells.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm not married to this kind of man, but I was raised by this kind of man! Standing in line at the airport, waiting for a trolley, sitting at a little league game - all perfect places to find a best friend according to my dad!

    Love your blog. I followed the link from the Erma Bombeck contest's winning entries page. Yours was FAR funnier than the 1st place entry. Keep it up!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congrats on your Erma win and nice to meet you!

    :-D Anna

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for all the positive comments. I am working hard at not being perfect, but I have to admit that we DO grind our own coffee beans. I just couldn't come up with a better clincher for this one...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you for your awesome comments on Twitter and on my blog. Congrats on the Erma second place!

    Sadly, I am the worst type of perfectionist, because I don't produce beautiful clean tidiness, but rather self-torture over FUNNY!!!

    I'm working on it.

    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Molly, Congrats on the 2nd place finish in the Erma competition. It is well deserved.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks to you all, I love you.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hello! Fab post! I too am a 'good enough' Mum. I do take a lot of time in the kitchen and cook a LOT from scratch BUT if time is short I don't kill myself, I open the freezer and whip up a 12 minute wonder! Life's too short and there is too much to do!

    ReplyDelete
  12. We had Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for dinner tonight, as a matter of fact! thanks for your wonderful comments! molly

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ha! I am amused, good lady. I see your point, of course; we do tend to obsess in our society, yes?

    In our household, though, we cook from scratch because my son's allergies dictate that we know everything that goes into our meals. Plus, it's kind of enjoyable to turn the brain off and just chop veggies, saute onions, etc.

    And my 8 month old eats off the floor sometimes, but it sure ain't clean! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Simon, I have to confess that both my girls had allergies as well, and we made food back then. I also confess that not all that I write is totally truthful. Thanks for visiting! YOu are a good man.

    ReplyDelete

Share this Post

Share your links easily.