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I Would Have Servants
I've often wondered what it would be like to live in another era - perhaps during the Renaissance or in the Middle Ages. In many ways, life then seems so much easier. I could have a farm and grow my own food easily. I could barter, so I'd be less dependent on money. If I were a doctor, my patients could pay me in food, goods, and services, rather than cold hard cash. There would be fewer gadgets and gizmos to distract me. Family, friends, and conversation would take up more of my time. Life would be lived during daylight hours, then nights would be filled with pubs, drinks, and merriment. Right? Well, in the Romantic version of life, I guess so. However, I easily forget about the reality of life - cooking over a fire, doing dishes in a bucket, hauling water, hand-washing clothes, and trying to keep a house clean. A month in Togo, faced with these realities, has made me realize that if I were to live in the Middle Ages and be happy, I would have to have servants. I guess that means I would be an overlord or lady, and I'd probably be hated by all of my servants, which actually doesn't make for much of a happy life, then, does it?
While cooking outside on a charcoal stove sounds simple and relaxing, it's actually hard work. Thanks to Ortencia, I didn't do much of this work (she was the ultimate hostess and would hardly let me lift a finger). From getting the fire started (getting your hands filthy from charcoal and starter) to fanning the flames frequently to keep the temperature high and spread the fire throughout the charcoal, you can easily work up a sweat before you even put a pot on the stove. Now, realize that the charcoal stove is essentially ONE burner. I love to cook in many pots and pans. I would go nuts faced with one burner all the time. Between timing the cooking of various parts of a meal so that everything can be served at least semi-hot and maintaining a good temperature on the pot or pan so that the food doesn't burn, I'm sure that I'd ruin at least half of my meals. Not so relaxing and simple anymore, is it? Hence the need for servants.
Hand-washing laundry in buckets: not my forte. Getting out stains, rinsing out soap, and wringing out water are more difficult than you'd think. Especially when you're doing this for ALL of your laundry, not just the articles that are conveniently labeled "hand-wash" (how many of these do you avoid buying in the store?). Ortencia hires a neighbor boy to come once a week to do her laundry. Thank goodness! He did mine a few times while in Togo, and the result was consistently MUCH better than when I washed them myself. He could do in a much shorter period of time what would take me HOURS and result in a huge mess! Again, I would need servants to do this for me so that I could lay on a verandah and read a book while being fanned.
I guess I learned a little about myself and my expectations from life while in Togo. While I definitely CAN do everything needed to survive, I would MUCH rather have servants to do them for me. If I ever time-travel, I hope I'm rich.
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