It’s a Saturday morning. I can hear a phalanx of lawn mowers, hedge trimmers and leaf blowers marching through the backyards of my neighbours. Australians rejoice in weekend suburb maintenance. Like many others I have just had very busy week of work. The builders have been having a field day in our unoccupied house and left unwrapped sinks, cabinets and toilets littering the hallway. Our laundry is piled in teetering hillocks around the kitchen/laundry/living room. I just cleared the sink area and began to wash dishes. I continued washing them until there was nowhere left to stack them. I’m giving the morning sun some time to dry them whilst I have a cup of tea. As you can see I am learning the art of ‘working smarter not harder’.

Young Davis, Turtle Hank and Dog Winnie are all enjoying lounging in the sunshine. They are probably musing on the delights of idleness. I remember when I too was oblivious to the Sisyphean tasks of maintaining a home. Daydreaming in the sunshine was my favourite activity. It still is but my dreams become clouded with responsibiities. I am finding my lifestyle has become incompatible with idleness. Tom Hodgkinson would be appalled, I know I am.

At this point I ought to mention my gratitude to my Ma, she did a great job and I’m sure my siblings and I owe her a fair bit of back pay. Not that I am expecting anything from Gen Z although Turtle Hank and Dog Winnie are quite grateful. I was an ingrate and I expect nothing less from Gen Z. I know Hank and Winnie are safe but as for the rest of them I hope they do not find the business of putting down roots and maintaining a home too onerous.