I cleaned the living room today--a spiritually uplifting experience. The room was a mess, largely because my son tends to hang out there, watching TV or using his PlayStation. The carpet was a minefield of Lego toys and crumbs--I couldn't walk two feet without crunching something. His books, papers, videotapes and CDs were also strewn across every chair and table. In short, it looked like a major earthquake had shaken the place like a Mariachi rattle.

I can't stand it when a room gets like that. I see it as a metaphor: messy room, messy mind, messy life.

My battle plan was to first remove everything from the room that didn't belong there, including candy wrappers, plates and cups, sporting equipment, clothing and miscellaneous detritus. That took about 20 minutes. Then I removed all the portable furniture from the room. I put all the books and tapes on the proper shelves. I picked up the Legos and action figures and Burger King Ice Age toys and filed them away in the proper boxes. I put his papers into folders and shelved them. All that took about half an hour.

Then I got the vacuum cleaner out. I used the wand attachment and got down on my knees to suck up every crumb and dust ball. I also vacuumed the chair cushions. I replaced the furniture. Finally, the room looked fit for human habitation . . . .

. . . . for about 20 minutes. Now he's lying on the couch, eating potato chips and strewing tapes and PlayStation discs around again. And I can't help thinking about Sisyphus in the Greek myth, forever rolling his rock up that hill only to see it roll back down again.