Please Knock.

Perhaps you are aware of the saying: "My door is always open."
After years of marriage and children I have realized that it doesn't work for me. In the same way that I realized that just because a line rhymes, that doesn't make it true. For example, "If you spot it, you got it!" as applied to unfortunate character traits. Sooooo, I say "Hitler is an asshole." Does that mean that I, because I noticed it, am also an asshole? Maybe. But not like him.

With that off my chest, I have decided that in order to preserve my sanity, I need to lock my doors. Not just shut them, lock them. I now lock the bathroom door when I am on the john and also when I am bathing and getting ready for the day. If I don't, I get unwanted "help". The dog decides that whilst I am toweling off my upper half, he will lick my knees for me. As I reach for my toothbrush, deoderant, face cream, or Q-tip, little hands will grab them "for me" and take them just beyond arms' length. I end up thwarted in every thing that I try to do before I've even come downstairs.

I also have begun locking the children's door when I put my youngest to bed. Otherwise, I get unwanted input from my 5 year old and sometimes my spouse and always the dog. Though in all fairness, the dog doesn't interupt the bedtime story by giving away the ending. The dog also doesn't question my technique in the middle of my calming process. Ok. So I'll let the dog in before I lock the door. I suspect he's also seeking a brief respite from the clamour and clatter of our home.

The results of this new habit are extraordinary! I am calmer, happier, and more efficient. Oh Happy Day!