I don’t get embarrassed easily although this moment was
memorable:
A few years ago, I needed an apartment for special guests
that were visiting me in Sweden.
Fortunately, a friend was kind enough to lend me his apartment, which I
appreciated. Often, Swedes open up their home for a friend to use when they are
away – something that has always impressed me.
Upon entering this dimly-lit apartment, neither my guests
nor I noticed anything out of the ordinary although it was a gray day and they
were tired after travelling overnight. It wasn’t long before I left and they
got a few hours of sleep.
When they woke up, they got a surprise they weren’t
expecting. The place was a mess. Dust, food crumbs and dirt were abundant and I
won’t even mention the state of the bathroom or kitchen.
Taking the bull by the horn, they spent an hour cleaning the
apartment as they couldn’t stay in such a dirty place. It became livable by
decent standards, not by their standards as that would have taken most of the
day.
Needless to say, I was embarrassed after hearing what they
had to endure on their first day in Sweden. If I had known, I would
have paid for a cleaner. They were gracious in how they told me although they
said it in no uncertain terms.
Most people (and Swedes) I know, take care of their home in
the same clean manner as we do. I assumed that this friend was similar. I’ll
never make that mistake again!
I never mentioned to my friend what my guests had done on
that first day and I didn’t have to. Unbeknownst to me, they had also cleaned
the place the day before they left; making the apartment sparkle in ways I’m
sure it never has. When my friend returned, he mentioned how clean the place
was. I thought, “If you only knew”.
I’m hopeful that seeing his apartment in a clean condition
may have helped to inspire him and his family to take better care of it.
It was a powerful lesson for me as I’ve rarely assumed in
life but for some reason I did this time. Any place I’ve borrowed after has
been checked thoroughly.
Thankfully, there have been no “Unclean” apartments since.
Happy Gswede Sunday!
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