Casual Fridays: For the love of the spin cycle.

Hi guys, it's Britt. Today I want to talk about laundromats.

I love laundromats, not because I'm wild about dragging my clothes half a block, or because I want to feed temperamental machines my hard-earned loonies. 

But I do have a thing for laundromats because they are an absolute gem of a place for a story to begin. Think about it: strangers stuck in a humid little room, their clothing flinging around in the dryers. Their sheets and towels and unmentionables. 

And I'm not the only one who feels this way. Author, Mary Gaitskill used a laundromat as the location to start her book, Two Girls Fat and Thin. In the opening line, the character Dorothy says: 

"I entered the strange world of Justine Shade via a message on the bulletin board in a laundromat filled with bitterness and the hot breath of dryers." 

(gha! amazing sentence!) 

Once, while at my local laundromat waiting for the dryer to finish, I took a walk to get some coffee. I returned to find that someone had not only removed my clothes from the dryer, but had folded them. All my t-shirts were neatly stacked. They'd even balled up my pairs of socks. I was totally thrown off by this gesture. It was so kind and intimate and weird. 

On the internet the other day, I found an article called: 10 Great Places to Meet New People that suggested laundromats as a perfect spot to connect. 

So give it a try. Just make sure when introducing yourself to someone, to keep your eyes off their undies.

Have an inspired weekend, everyone, and I'll see you back here on Monday for a new story. 
Britt