Theme Fridays: laundry

WRITERS’ CORNER
THEME FRIDAYS

This week’s theme is laundry, courtesy of our dear J at Not A Housekeeper- bless her.  We all have it, do it, grumble about it, so let’s just get it done.

J folds piles of it rather neatly.
Annie loads it quickly from washer to dryer.

Laundry tin sign by B. J. Schonberg at www.allposters.com

 The Tao of Laundry

*If you wish to comprehend the Infinite, consider Laundry.

*Like all things eternal- God, Time, Space- Laundry was, is and shall ever be.

*Laundry is something done that is never done. 
 Meditate on this and achieve enlightenment…

Laundry Will Make a Man of You

It has long been taught that in ancient times, men were the hunter/gatherers of the human race whilst the females of the race were the keepers of the cave, cooks of that which was gathered and cleaner of those who gathered .  Through time, as cleanliness became closer to godliness, women took pride in the white of their whites, the crisp creases of their husbands’ pant legs.  Through the ages of rocks, wash boards, clothes lines and finally machines, this task was not recognized for the hard work it was, or appreciated as such.

So just as crime fighting has been domesticated into “germ fighting” for the modern cave-maker, doing Laundry has become the homemaker’s “hunt/gather”.  It takes bravery, courage and knowledge of the beasts with which we dwell to gather allthe dirty clothes in our homes.  We stalk about our dwellings in search of the prize- stinky socks or grass stained pants.  Though we’ve set traps in the way of receptacles purchased from our local Wal-Mart, there are always several items that avoid them.  We must look under beds, in closets, and gather from bathroom floors and sometimes dresser drawers.  Not all in the home understand completely the difference between clean and dirty Laundry, but that is why we’re here.  Through generations, our gathering skills have been honed to perfection.

We gather our prizes into our arms, against our bodies- this is akin to the tradition of drinking of warm blood from an animal killed for food- and take them to the washing machine.

All-Loving, in Regions Unexplored by Most Others
or
Exercise in Power I

There are those instances when we are unable to discern the cleanliness or dirtiness of a garment using sight alone and must employ our sense of smell.  This is the depth of Laundry.  There are those intimate stains, scents, which we read and decipher.  And these visceral messages are kept in our hearts, where we learn more about those we service and never share with another soul.  This is our secret knowledge- the most intimate knowledge of love.

We don’t hold it against them, but keep it mind when they attempt to rise against us…

Exercise in Power II

Like in many situations that arise for those in positions of power, Sorting is key to Laundering.  Items may not be tossed recklessly together, they must be categorized: knits, permanent press, ‘normal’.  Labels are utilized to more easily segregate the Laundry into Whites, Colors, Darks and for those dyed in the wool purists- Denims.

For as any Launderer worth her mettle knows, washing Darks with Lights can be disastrous.

Darks Bleed.

And there are the searches, to check for pennies, rocks, lip gloss, receipts and crayons, five dollar bills slipped silently into our back pockets, pens and so on and such like.

Then there are the products used to cleanse the dirt from clothes.  An experienced Launderer will have her favorites- tried and tested.  There are soaps- powder and liquid, scented and unscented, fabric softeners in liquid or dryer sheet or ball form, bleach and its alternatives, stain removers, special soaps for delicates and those fragile, bleeding Darks…

We decide what is best for the clothes, our families- our reputations as skilled caregivers and home makers on the line…

Folding Is Not Weakness

After the Gathering and Sorting, washing and drying, there is the Folding and Hiding.  Folding Laundry, initially may be painstaking.  Sleeves must be aligned properly to get a handle on wrinkles.  Though wrinkles may be, if not mildly acceptable, at least expected about the eyes, they will never do as far as clothing is concerned.  But rest assured, after a time matching socks and tucking away the crotches of underwear will become easy, thoughtless work of the hands, giving Launderers one of those brief opportunities to explore other thoughts- like what to make for dinner, how nice it’d be to squeeze in a nap later, what if you’d taken that job, maybe dying your hair and so on.  This is also a good time to meditate on the pointlessness, and significance, of Laundry, its dichotomous yet zen-like nature.  Because the Launderer is proud of her ability to remove stains and fold well, there is a moment of satisfaction at a job well done; the moment dissolves quickly when it is recalled that there will be more Laundry to be washed, folded, put away.

Hiding the clothes with its wonderful and clean scent, its crisp neatness, its brightness and warmth into dresser drawers is next.  Most Launderers are tempted to have the owners put their own clothes away since they’ve done all else: sniffed the armpit of a T-shirt, smeared stain remover upon a skid mark, folded the fitted sheets, but it is recommended to put it away yourself.  Otherwise, all of your hard work will amount to nothing but clothes shoved into drawers willy-nilly, or not even put away at all, but dropped here and there only to need ironing later, which we know we must do from time to time, but attempt to avoid as much as possible.

Master the Laundry

After having done all this, we will find a sock, a towel, that we missed or was shed after we had washed the load it belonged in.  There was a time, before we became Masters of Laundry, when this would send us into a flurry of gritted mumbling, complaining out loud to the air and we’d consider quitting Laundry.  But now, now that we are Masters of Laundry, we simply and mindlessly toss the item(s) into the Laundry Basket for next time.  Because now we know.

Laundry is never done.

(copyright 2008 )  c A Hughes
07.26.08