SWEEP THE SOOT FROM YOUR LIFE TO CLEAR THE AIR

              

MY only image of the chimney sweep is from the film Mary Poppins, where all the chimney sweeps break out in song as they Step in Time. I imagine small and skinny humans squeezing through age-old chutes and then presto, their blackened faces appear out of the chimneys like a jack-in-the-box.

So, when our chimneys got stuck, I was secretly excited about meeting the chimney sweep. I know we are living in the new millennium but I am a lover of all things vintage and I was secretly hoping to see a faint likeness of the chimney sweep of my imagination.

The tradition of a chimney sweep bringing luck is an age-old one, especially to the bride and groom on their wedding day. Legend has it that 200 years ago, a chimney sweep bravely stepped out and stopped King George II's horse and coach as it bolted. He was so grateful to the sweep for saving his life that he decreed that all sweeps were lucky!

 When the door bell rang, a man called Paul announced his mission for the day. First, he was tall and burly and not skinny and small. So, I crossed that characteristic off of my list expectations on how a chimney sweep should look like Next, he was fair and not covered in soot either. My disappointment continued to rise and when he carried in the hoover (that is what they call the vacuum cleaner over here) I was transported back to the 21st century again. Almost immediately Paul got to work. I had a lovely time watching Paul clean the chimneys and my zero knowledge of stoves and fireplaces made him a happy teacher. He assembled the segments of a very long brush and pushed it through the chimney and I had to watch from the outside of the house if anything came out of the chimney. Truth be told when I went outside to look at the roof, I was not even sure which chimney the brush would pop out from! I laughed at my ignorance and that most people will not give much thought to something until it is broken. So, imagine my joy when I saw the brush (and not a human head) popping out of the chimney.

To make work fun, we chatted on food, country and family -- my three favourite topics. He was curious as to where I was from and we talked about the weather -- how hot and humid Malaysia is and how cold and damp Ireland is.

He commented that I looked good and I quipped that it must be the Malaysian humidity that keeps our skin supple and takes 10 years off our faces. When I saw the amount of soot and dirt that Paul dislodged from the chimneys I could not help but compare it with the amount of soot and dirt that we carry with us throughout our lives.

I remember when I met my friend Susan Bryson for the first time, I thought she looked really beautiful and youthful. Apart from good genes, she said the countenance reflects the attitude one has towards life. And it is not uncommon to see what we carry in our hearts and souls emanating from our faces -- just like soot and dirt clogging up a chimney.

In fact, there is a proverb that goes, "A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit". How good it is to clear the blocked ducts in our lives: the bad memories and the hurt. Max Lucado, a best-selling writer once said, "Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realising that you were the prisoner".

 In no time, Paul finished the chimney sweeping. Before he left, we tried to start a fire to check whether the airway was clear. Almost like magic, I could feel the heat roaring through and the chimneys puffing like dragons. I have heard of the quintessential milkman brightening up a housewife's dull day, but when the chimney sweep comes a-calling, he clears the air that I breathe!

Read more: Sweep the soot from your life to clear the air - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/sweep-the-soot-from-your-life-to-clear-the-air-1.159713#ixzz29x9Ux0J2