When I was a little kid, I always used to be afraid of laundromats. I suppose I read Corduroy too many times; I was afraid a machine would suck up my own teddy bear, or maybe even me. Corduroy's story may have a happy ending, but I never thought those places were worth the risk. Since my younger days, I have set foot in a laundromat twice. The first was last summer when I lived in Des Moines and my apartment didn't have laundry, and the second is right now. The walls are a teal blue like Tiffany's, yet dragonflies are buzzing in the corners and the Pac-Man machine appears to me 30+ years old.
I have 25 minutes to sit in this little one-room building. So many different people are here. There's the lady with a fresh mani and pedi reading magazines in the corner, another sleeping, about to knock over her V8 can as her arm moves when she inhales. My favorite person here, though, is the little redhead running around. I'm guessing she is 4, and she's absolutely precious with her Sprite can and her "pretty and purfect" cat shirt. She keeps pointing at me because my hair is curly like her own.
This little girl isn't afraid of the laundromat. She runs up and down the isles yelling colors out as she sees them spinning through the glass doors. She jumps into the hampers and tries to climb into Mr. Pac-Man's virtual world. Her mom and grandma seem exhausted by her energy, and I don't blame them one bit. This little girl isn't afraid of anything here; she is happy and curious and ready to explore every corner of this place.
Her attitude is refreshing. It may seem weird to be influenced by someone so much younger than me, but there is something about her that makes me want to reevaluate my priorities. I want to learn how to care less about the small stuff. It's time to stop worrying about last semester's GPA, quitting my job, and losing important people. It's time to start living with peace, joy, and faith.
And that's my goal for the summer. Live and let live, love and let love. Like the curly redhead, I'm going to be friendly to everyone, explore people and places I'm not yet familiar with, and stop being afraid of how the past has influenced me. Thanks, cutie.
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