Sweat was forming on my face, and my shoulders were getting tired. I was in my pants and polo intensely scrubbing the floors in the back of the store. I would take a break every once in a while to do some sweeping or take out the trash and cardboard to the dumpster. Most people would call this cleaning, but I had become accustomed to a more creative name: husband training.

Husband training was my way of having fun with all the tasks I had to do. It was coined by my girlfriend when I was telling her about all the washing and scrubbing I was doing. She jokingly said, “Alex, it’s not just cleaning, look on the bright side. Think of it as husband training.” She definitely got a giggle out of me for that one. From then on though, I wasn’t just cleaning, I was readying myself for the future. That’s what I thought when I heard that the floors needed mopping, windows needed wiping and weeds had to be picked. I was becoming a better person. Now when I see dishes at home, I usually clean them. The training must be working.

For some context, we were doing all this tidying up because we were preparing for an open house. All of the tenants in the building and Karin’s Florist were participating. My part in preparing for this event was to clean up the building. This role was minor compared to the planning that went into the open house; for example, multiple vendors were assembled, invitations were sent and even the mayor came. Thanks to Maris, and all the other people that pitched in, everything was very well organized.

By five o’clock I had switched out my polo for a button down and tie, and I was ready to assist in any way I could. People started to trickle in and something unusual of big events happened: everything went smoothly. It would be thrilling to write about a big problem or dramatic story, but everyone was all smiles throughout the night thanks to a well coordinated effort.

If this event showed me one thing it would be the importance of preparedness. At the florist everyone got clear direction on what needed to be done and what duties they were responsible for. This helped streamline the process of getting ready for the open house and making sure everything that needed to be done got done. We didn’t need anyone at the last minute to save the day because everything had been thought out and executed in time for the event. Hopefully I can internalize this principle of preparedness so cram studying can be a thing of the past.

I enjoyed the open house and I’m happy I was able to participate. I’m glad I now know what right looks like when preparing for an event. Hopefully I’ll be able to be a part of another Karin’s Florist party in the future, and for anyone that wasn’t able to attend this last one, it is definitely worth it to come to the next one.