Tiling behind the fridge

"Do we have to tile behind the fridge?" was the question the worker asked me when I was recently having my kitchen refurbished. 

I was at first somewhat surprised by this question, though immediately after, the worker kindly explained that many people in fact choose not to tile behind the fridge as nobody will ever actually take a look behind there; allowing the home-owner to make a small but significant saving.

On first reflection this can appear a relatively trivial question but in the end it's not. Should we indeed “tile behind the fridge” in our everyday lives?

You could say that maybe it isn't necessary to do something that won't be noticed by anyone, especially if this brings you some kind of benefit (e.g. saves you time, money etc.). Then, why do it?

Because you know so. No one else knows, but you do. You know that there is no tiling behind the fridge.  It isn't exactly the same but this is rather like sweeping your dust under the carpet. You don't do it because you prefer things to be done properly. 

Without tiling, my kitchen would look perfect, but I would know that it isn't. As in life, this is not just about keeping up appearances but properly reflecting your personal values. 

I am not suggesting doing things perfectly all the time, but this is, in the end, about a desire to do things perfectly whenever or wherever possible. Yes, one of the most valuable skills is knowing, given certain constraints, when and how a task should be done (or if it should not be done at all!). 

Nevertheless, beyond this invaluable skill there's always an even a more important factor: your attitude. The attitude of striving for excellence. The attitude of going the extra mile. The attitude of demanding the best of yourself.

A lot of times we are faced with hard choices of how we should best spend our limited resources. But all the time we should strive to get the best results and take great pleasure and peace of mind in knowing things have been done well; even when others are not necessarily in a position to appreciate this fact.

A lot of times, doing things well or doing things very well can go unnoticed. Sometimes not.