Is a Clean Car Progress?

It's probably a good thing that mundane chores, which are so obviously mere maintenance, can produce what feels like real progress. In this universe, the second law of thermodynamics applies. Entropy happens, which means that whatever was clean and functional will inevitably sully and break down. My car is really dirty now—embarrassingly so. For some funny reason, the application of soap suds, rinse water, and a chamois cloth can, through their effects, make me happy. Granted, it's all Sisyphean. Sisyphus is the guy who rolled the big rock up the hill only to watch it roll back down again. His efforts are the emblem of futility. It's like making your bed, which some people say is pointless because you'll just wreck it again in a few hours. Logical, maybe, but everyone who has had the pleasure of climbing into a made bed (especially with clean sheets) knows that the excuse doesn't work. Maybe Sisyphus himself took pride in getting the rock to the hilltop even though the accomplishment would soon be nullified. That's why on this sunny California Saturday, I will fill the wash bucket with warm soapy water in anticipation of driving a clean car again. The pleasure, however temporary, is real.