As a mom, one of the most valued treasures I have is my washing machine. But you know, sometimes we need to be reminded of how valuable our treasures are. Last week my washing machine died. Just like that. No more clean laundry in our house. So one day this week, I came home from work and loaded up the dirty laundry (and I'm ashamed to say there was a lot of it), bought as many quarters from the kids piggy banks as they had to offer, and packed books and video games and headed to the laundromat with the two kids.
When I got there, I looked around - disoriented, at first trying to gauge the level of cleanliness, where is it safe to sit and where can the kids set their food (yes I did hit the drive through on the way there)? As the kids played with the wheely baskets (I have no idea what they're really called but I do know that the kids sure loved them) I cringed at the thought of all the germs they may have on them. Now let me just take a moment to apologize to anyone who might be reading this who uses a laundromat on a regular basis. Please have patience with me - this is going somewhere,,. I started to load a few machines with clothing and after 3 loads which cost $2 each realized there was no way I had enough money to do all this laundry. I started to panic. I had many more loads, and my quarters were disappearing fast. Fortunately another woman there directed me to the large capacity machines where I could wash a quilt and a small load of clothing. I was actually so stupidly arrogant that I felt the need to explain to her that my washing machine broke and that was why I was there. What an idiot I am. When I saw the look on her face that must have meant "ah... you're one of those people who judge the rest of us here doing our weekly laundry" - I had to take a moment to stop and think about things.
I had a lot of time to think - 3 hours really. While my kids ran circles with the wheely baskets, checking the timers on the machines washing and drying our clothes - my mind raced. I thought about the large numbers of people who must use a laundromat all the time and how expensive, inconvenient, and time consuming it is. I thought about how blessed I was that I could not only do a load of laundry when it suited me, but I only had to spend money for the water and electricity to do so - way less than $2/wash and $1.50 to dry a tiny load. I thought about the vast difference there was in my life and the lives of people around this world. I thought about the wonder and awe somebody from a village in Thailand would experience just being in a laundromat. And the privilege it was to have clean water much less a machine to do to the work, compared to the dirty canals and sewage systems people around the world may use to wash their clothes.
And even with these thoughts running through my head - I caught myself wondering if anyone I knew had seen me as they drove by - and I felt ashamed - at first that I would be seen at a laundromat, but second that I would be such a snob as to even care.
It was somewhere in the midst of this internal battle that I found myself wanting to get to know the maintenance lady who was there washing the floors, cleaning each machine, and emptying the lint traps. She complimented my children's helpful attitudes and good behavior and I had to wonder what her story was. How many children did she see causing trouble or getting in her way? How often does she even get noticed? How did she get this job? Was it her only source of income? Was it fulfilling? Did she enjoy her job? I admired her work ethic and her professionalism. I liked her. I don't know why, but I was drawn to her. She was strong, hard working, and kind. She was an example that I would like to follow.
A few years ago, due to life circumstances, I lost many of my belongings that - most of which had meant a lot to me. And through that loss, I thought I had learned that "it was just stuff" and there is no need to be emotionally attached to it. Yet here I was, sitting in a laundromat, struggling with pride and arrogance when in fact I was privileged to even have a place where I could come wash my families clothes...that we had so many clothes that it cost us $35 in quarters... and that we even had $35 to spend on laundry.
In the midst of a polarized week - one that began with the devastation caused by storms and tornadoes in the south and on the east coast and wrapped up with a royal wedding - I have to take a moment to step back and realize just how spoiled by prosperity we are in this nation. I am ashamed that I could be so arrogant as to think there was something wrong with using a laundromat. I now see just how privileged I am that we could. And I have to say - while it's very humbling to have those moments when God opens your eyes to your own attitude - I don't want to lose it. I want to stay tuned in to the reality of what's going on around me, I want to quit being so caught up in myself.
