Vince is a stickler for turning off lights when you leave the room. I have pretty much always done it though for some reason, I leave the laundry room light on accidentally too often. I think it’s because our laundry room has two parts. Each part has a light but they’re both on or both off. When I’m in the part by the washer/dryer, there’s no window in there so even on the sunny days, I need the light on when I’m folding clothes or washing things in the laundry sink. Then I go to walk back into the breakfast room, I’m facing three big windows and it’s so bright, I don’t even realize the light is on so . . I don’t think about turning it off. Then Vince goes through the laundry room to walk into the garage and right off the bat, he notices the light is on.
Chad and Nicole . . I’ll never understand how Chad grew up in our household with Vince constantly saying “turn off the light” . . but they rarely turn off lights. I go by there to get Addie’s stuff when she’s coming to stay here. Most of the time no one is home. I usually only go into the breakfast room/kitchen area but at least half the time, there’s two or three lights left on.
When Addie was with us in Texas for five weeks last summer, Vince stayed on her about turning lights off. She’d go over to the sewing room where there were about 20 lights, she’d flip on all the switches, then leave without turning them off. When she got back home, Nicole said “Addie has been on us about leaving lights on!”
This week Nicole told me that she and Chad are doing so good at turning lights off when they leave a room. Addie and I were talking a few minutes ago and I told her that living by example, you can often be a good influence on others. I told her that since she’s been careful to turn off lights at their house and remind her parents to do the same thing, she’s been a good influence on them. I told her that you never know when something you do, or share with someone is going to influence them to do better.
I then asked her if there were things I do that she thinks I should improve upon. She thought about it and said no . . she couldn’t think of anything. Vince, sitting across the room, said “I can think of a few!” I told him the first thing I would suggest to him is “do not answer a question that wasn’t asked of you!” We both giggled but now I’m wondering, though not about to ask, what things he thinks I should do differently. I’m betting ordering less cross stitch stuff is near the top of that list.
Rebecca says
That’s so sweet! (of Addie. Vince–it’s a good thing he didn’t keep going!) 😀
My parents must have been very strict about turning off lights, because I’m pretty good at it. My husband, on the other hand, isn’t good about turning off the TV when he leaves a room. He has gone to bed with it still on in another room. Also, if he’s going to do anything (like refill his water or use the bathroom), he does that first and then returns to turn off the TV! Ugh!
Cilla HouleTyler says
My parents were strict about turning lights off in a room if you leave said room. I’ve never liked lights so live like a bat. Toby has a habit of flipping on a light as he walks thru a room even tho he is not staying in it. Both kitchens have 3 lights each on 2 different switches. He’ll turn them both on, 6 lights, (WHO needs that???) the leave the room. So frustrating.
montanaclarks says
My Dad was like Vince–turn off the lights! We just had guests for 3 nights and I was amazed at how they left the guest room and bathroom lights on all the time. I didn’t say anything to them, I just thought it was strange!
Ruth says
I have found that I do not like going into a dark room at night, so I leave the lights on in the rooms I am usually in, such as the front room and kitchen and dining room. Our current house is small, with only one switch in each room, so it’s no hardship to turn all the lights off when we go to bed.