Verandah Musings 2: The Job of the Janitor.

The job? Well, "clean of course" one might say, and "that's easy-peasy." Let's observe and analyze this and see if it is truly simplistic, lest we be dismissive untowardly. On the surface it looks pretty facile. Imagine spending a day or two listening, meticulously observing methods, patterns and routines, to this seemingly jejune job.

Planning:

The janitors plan well. They choose a time when traffic over the chosen space is minimal, if not none. Then they allot the time frame necessary for the floor/space and synchronize their move to another space when traffic slows down in that part of the building.

Preparation:

Once the space and time is chosen, they prepare the area well by warding it off with bright tape and signs such as "wet floor", "slippery when wet" or a combination of some. They collect their tools (brooms, mops, buckets, cleaning chemicals etc) and position themselves in a place where they can see the advancing crowd.

Science and methodology:

They use chemicals that are not hazardous to human beings when in contact or when vaporized. They mix the elements in the right proportion that suits the floor space in question. They choose and use suitable cleaners for stains that are hard to come off and use biohazard precautions if there are body fluids in question. Necessary disinfectants are used in the right places.

Art:

Once they get going, their sweeps, seem to take a pattern of a large brush sweeping side to side, at times spinning round and round, and on occasions swiping from top to bottom with a dab here and a douche there. This would have been obvious, if the mop was a paint brush and the floor space, a large canvas.

Serving the greater good:

When the floor is clean, they take a last look at their finished work before they pack and move on to the next section. The cleaned floor is not for their use; but for the use of others in varied occupations. Their work helps prevent falls, creates cleanliness, helps prevent spread of infections, and ushers in a sense of calmness as people walk over them and settle into their respective places of work. In hospitals they comprise all sorts of spaces including the waiting room in front, the walking aisles and corridors, charting pods and stations, the exam rooms, the operating and recovery rooms, the intensive care units and the executive offices. In manufacturing plants, warehouses and business offices their work renders similar benefits for others. Some call it the "why" of the work in question.

A pensive discipline:

Census data indicate that there are about 5000 janitors who have a PhD and who work as janitors in US. Wait, what...and why? Not because they can't find a job - but for other reasons. Is there a hidden secret? Some find it contemplative and meditative in the stillness of the night. It helps kick-start the creative side of the brain and bring in solutions to some of the thorny issues in life. It helps reset, reframe priorities and perspectives - so the work is restorative in other words. Wow! This seemingly is not possible in their previous/current modalities of work or in the ways how they work. Try doing this for a day-as a volunteer or even at home. Counterintuitive as it may be, you just might like it!

Warmly,

Cecil Thoppil.

Post Script: The article was written without any AI help.