Who's Your Audience

Have I told you that I live on a farm? Have I told you that I own two dogs and a cat? That's all you need to know to come to one solid conclusion—I live amongst dirt and hair. But what's a working girl to do? In addition to my full-time job as a copywriter, I also own my own freelance copywriting service. That takes up a lot of time! So the few hours that I have to do whatever I want aren't necessarily devoted to cleaning. I do like to live in a clean, healthy environment, however, so I'm always on the lookout for convenient products that make my life...easier!!

My in-laws visited from England recently. While hubby and I were at our jobs during the day, said in-laws would entertain themselves in various ways. One day, for example, my mother-in-law made the beds, vacuumed the entire house, mowed the lawn, cleaned out the shed, and had dinner on the table when we walked in the door. No, she's not Wonder Woman. She's just a very driven 65-year-old lady who wants to give! Had she used my old vacuum cleaner, I'm quite certain that the ONLY thing she would have accomplished that day is self-induced stress and aggravation. My old vacuum was one of those heavy duty hepa-filter containing uprights designed for industrial use. In a little ole farmhouse, it was a b*tch to drag it up and down the stairs. In fact, vacuuming was often a two-person job. That is, until my mother-in-law saw a Dirt Devil Vision while she was out one day and bought it. For the low low price of $99, this vacuum changed the way that I live.



After buying the vacuum for us as a gift, my mother-in-law proceeded to vacuum the house, I'm convinced, on a daily basis. She vacuumed the dog beds and the shower rugs. She vacuumed the study, the family room, the kitchen, the laundry room, and the bedrooms. I thought she was crazy! Then, after my in-laws departed for England, I tried the vacuum myself. That little Dirt Devil changed my life! Now, every Saturday (or Sunday, depending on my schedule) morning, I get up and vacuum the whole darned house! There's a container that catches the dirt and hair that can be emptied by pulling on the handle and pressing a button. After every room, I empty that container and watch as a softball-sized ball of dog hair plops itself into my trash can. It's so satisfying to see a tangent representation of your efforts being discarded. Anyone with completion syndrome would be captivated! My hubby and I love that little Dirt Devil so much that we've started lovingly calling it R2D2.

And so, although my life is still hairy and full of dirt—I do live on a farm, after all—it is less so...partly in thanks to our new addition—R2D2—and partly thanks to my mother-in-law.