I am easily overwhelmed by big projects. For decades, I’ve gone to great lengths to avoid starting things that seem difficult . Procrastination is the one area in which I consistently excel. Because of this gift, I often find myself committing myself to do work for others instead of doing what’s on my list.
Today, armed with my piggybank and a large black trash bag full of laundry, I helped a beloved friend reclaim some of her clothing. I’ve decided that Coin Laundry on 185th and Farmington Road in Aloha, Oregon is the best place to knock out 6 loads of laundry in less than an hour. Dutch Brothers Coffee, across the street, provided my hydration/ caffeine needs (American with cream and a scoop of coconut) and the US Bank next door made it easy to get more cash when I ran out of coins.
Coin Laundry was clean and felt safe. Soft rock from the eighties played while the washers did their thing. Above the dryer, a television talk show entertained as I fed quarters into a row of dryers.
I could have spent a day at home doing this task but at Coin Laundry, I knocked the project out in less than an hour. Because I typically visit laundromats only while on vacation, I felt like I was on an adventure. The “time remaining” display on each machine challenged me use time well. In fact, the thank you notes I’d been carrying around for a week, got done as the clothes were washed and dried. While I never have a difficult time finishing a great book, I was also able to listen to a bit of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Walle Kimmerer during my Coin Laundry visit.
All in all, it was 60 minutes of bliss! Life is good in Oregon.
