Creeping Cleanliness

During Hurrican Rita, my older brother (who is in a wheelchair) had his house demolished, and so he and his wife came to stay with us for awhile. It would have been more practical and more fitting if he had gone to his son's house which is much larger (we were cramped) and is also quite a bit closer to his home. He did not do that. Why?The villain here is this penchant toward cleanliness. His son's wife will not allow dogs in her house (my brother has 2 small dogs) and she will most certainly not allow anyone to smoke in her house (heaven forbid!). Hell, nobody is allowed even to smoke in her yard. Her house is immaculate, and she means to keep it that way.At our house things are rather different. Visitors can do what they like (well, almost). But nonetheless I have found concerns with cleanliness creeping into my habits. We used to have indoor-outdoor pets. However, no matter what we did, we couldn't get rid of all the fleas. So now we have either strictly outdoor pets or strictly indoor pets. So as a result of this concern about cleanliness, my brother was prevented from staying with his son and I am kept from the pleasure of having indoor-outdoor pets. Did a few fleas really matter that much?This is a trend of modern society. We are kept from otherwise pleasurable or helpful activities by our creeping concern with cleanliness. At bottom, I think there's a snobbish motive at work here.This message has been edited by robinrohan, 11-21-2005 07:53 PM

But I suppose we could put in Biological Evolution in discussing the rise of female dominance among homo sapiens.

faith and belief.

Made me laugh for a variety of reasons, but then I wondered, if I am interpreting you right?Should I move it to Coffee House?

Yes, Randman, coffee house. Thanks.

Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.

sly comment, btw....considering Faith and Beliefs' most recent thread.

Or, maybe just the fact that fleas make you itch and carry bubonic plague.

Even more insidious are those aspects of obsession with cleanliness that are counter to good public health practices: e.g., the antibacterial movement.Antibacterial soaps, wipes, lotions, clothing--even antibacterial countertops--are all the rage. Of course, they are less than 100% effective, so we are in effect incubating antibacterial-resistant bugs, as we do when ptaients successfully besiege their doctors for antibiotics for their little ones' viral illnesses.This message has been edited by Omnivorous, 11-22-2005 11:12 AM

I was thinking of an insidious and unspoken, but currently operative, moral idea: "If I'm clean, I'm better than you."

Ah, yes, the "next to godliness" crowd...Most folks with those tendencies have found some justification for feeling morally superior long before they get close enough to judge my hygiene or housekeeping.Besides, I can smell 'em: Eau de Lysol Aerosol. They don't get past my door.AbE: Reminds me of this great bit of dialog; IIRC, from Samuel Johnson:Lady: Sir, you smell!Johnson: No, Madam--you smell, I stink.This message has been edited by Omnivorous, 11-22-2005 03:10 PM