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2014: A year of the broom
Broom shop in one of the markets in Warwick, Durban-South Africa. PHOTO BY NAFHA MAANI
What you need to know:
The sound of that early morning broom is very synonymous with waking up in Africa.
For some reason , gardeners and housekeepers love to sweep very early in the morning, and as much as I prefer to wake up in the morning just to the sound of the birds singing on the trees, my like for the broom forgives that irritation!
Liking the broom is not an exaggeration, I sincerely believe that this was one of the greatest simple but effective inventions that humanity saw and from a short survey that I did, except for the fact that the brush has changed from a shrub to plastic, the shape and form of the broom remains almost the same.
Brooms also have metaphoric uses in poetry and literature, there are many famous quotes that use the broom to further elaborate on a subject, but the most known usage comes in stories that talk about witches and wizards flying on broomsticks. Certainly you can relate to this if you have watched Harry Potter’s movies, where he has a special relationship with his broomstick that obeys his orders and transports him from one location to another.
The term sweeping that relates to brooms has other technical connotations. For example, the first few police cars that precede a presidential convoy are called sweepers- these cars clear and prepare the roads a few minutes before the arrival of the main convoy. I also read that American submarines used to hoist a broom during World War II when coming back to port; this was a sign that they have swept the seas clean of enemy ships.
However, what prompted me to write about brooms and call this year by the same name is my experience while visiting the markets of Warwick in Durban-South Africa. We were passing near a shop that had, among other items, long brooms that were on display on the roadside. Interesting enough, just in front of the brooms were heaps of garbage and dirt and a really foul smell that made us run away from the shop.
I asked our South African guide, a lady from the land of the Zulu, why the shop owner neglected his shop front in such a way? “Can he not use one of these brooms to clean? This can also be an advertisement for how good his brooms are, and at the same time it will take away this nasty smell and allow shoppers to spend time looking at his merchandise instead of running away! She replied that here, they say everyone has their own job, and cleaning is someone else’s work, so they will not deprive someone else from earning their living. As interesting as her reply was, it still brings to mind another question: What if others do not do their job? Will you leave your place heaped with rubbish and filth in a way that will hurt your business and also harm your health?
For different reasons in today’s households, most of the time partners work outside and the house is left to housekeepers. This has created a lazy generation that thinks cleaning is someone else’s job. If that someone is sick or away dirt and dust can wait until they returnme back. This has to change!
Using a broom does not need a guidebook . I suggest you use long stick brooms so you do not have to bend and hurt your back. Remember that even a broom needs to be cleaned, surely you cannot clean a room with a dirty broom. While you are at it, there is a checklist of all the things you need to clean up in your life. The time is now !
