The Deep Clean

I tend bar at a restaurant a few nights a week. The bar had not been cleaned in quite some time. Today at work we had to do a deep clean. In the right light cleaning can bring with it almost immediate gratification, noticeable change for the better. It's a step in the right direction and a transformation into a shinier and polished state of being.

There are often still signs of past neglect, permanent stains or rust spots but they are outshined by the care and attention we have given. We can stand back with the satisfaction of a job well done. But we cannot rest on our laurels for too long. The freshness and cleanliness does not stay that way without continued maintenance and care.

If attention is given on a regular basis we will never again have to go in for the "Deep Clean". After we have mucked the sludge and cut through the grease simple, daily maintenance is all that is required. The same is true for our souls, our minds, our bodies, our relationships, our sobriety.

Each day we are given the choice to maintain or neglect. It shows in our actions and on our faces. We need never put on a face if we have taken care of the one we have.

---John Staley