Take a load off.

When this phrase was coined around the 1940’s, it was intended to mean – Sit down and relax. I imagine sinking into a plush sofa and feeling the fatigue and worries just melt away…
Fast forward. For many women, especially me, ‘take a load off’, means: THROW/ PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON THE CHAIR IN YOUR DRESSING ROOM INSTEAD OF IN THE WARDROBE, DRAWER OR WASHING BASKET. Ah yes. The ill-famed ‘chair.

As I look at my ‘chair’ – it is heavily laden (emphasis on heavily), with all sorts of stuff! Mine looks like I have given up on life. Inside-out -everything. Let me create a mental picture for you and I am sure you can conjure up visions of yours.
The perfect outfit I had planned to wear to work last night just wasn’t speaking to me this morning (It is not like I didn't run the idea up the flagpole).
The pair of jeans, with the zipper that wouldn’t close... Well, it got punished and made its way onto the chair.
The inside out socks - which I remembered keeps coming off my feet inside my shoes – “they are clean; I will just put them away later”.
That knitted poncho that kept the chill away, and needs to retire to the winter section of the wardrobe, in the meantime, just waits on the chair… BTW. Multi coloured ponchos should preferably only be worn if you are herding Lamas in Peru.
The purple brassiere that got tossed after a long day.
The summer and winter pyjamas that have fallen asleep on the chair – and I blame the 4-seasons-in-one-day Cape Town weather!
The WHITE shirt with the ‘fresh’ red wine stain – while I figure out if it can be salvaged – it is also parked, until I figure it all out…
The tank top, geez, I had such hopes that I’d have a 6 pack by now… It too is punished! PUNISHED I tell you. To the chair you go!
Oh – I see a few hangers… and I thought they just went to a happier place where they would find raison d'etre.
The new pants I plan to wear this summer, hopefully if I get it shortened in time, I won’t have to wait for summer 2017!

So while these garments are stewing on the ‘chair’ – it is not only creating a visual mess, but also a mental mess. It clutters our minds ladies. It is a huge time waster. It really makes you want to turn around and close the door. Rummaging through that pile sets the tone for the day, before even leaving the house. These are the times when ‘just grabbing and going’ can be a potential disaster… and not for anyone else, but for your confidence (and it is a fact, that when you grab and go - you are bound to run into an ex or someone that should have seen you wearing your fashion runway finery). It is just such a waste of energy.

I think, the biggest reason for the ‘chair’, is that us moms, really give so much of our time to running a household, that by the time it gets to ourselves, there just isn’t anything left. So we just put everything on the ‘chair’ – somewhat on hold – until we do have the time and energy, which often only happens next week Thursday (if you are lucky).

Let’s make a pact. From today, let us respect our dressing space, our time and ourselves a little and take a load off our feet, AND that damn ‘chair’!