Thursday 21 January 2010

Philosophy of life down at the launderette



So - I go to the launderette to do my post-Morocco washing. Some readers will know that I don't have a washing machine, having never got around to getting one installed, and now I feel like it's maybe a good thing that I don't needlessly wash things every day but have to stop and think about it. Anyway, I'm greeted by a guy who starts talking about the New Year and then says " well of course we're only going to live till we're about 60 or 70 - so my philosophy is that we might as well make the best of every day." Now I agree with that in principle, although of course like most people, I fail to really appreciate each single day, especially when there are bills to pay, proposals to write and rats to get rid of. But as a 42 year old woman, his words also gave me a bit of a jolt of the "my God - that only gives me another 18 years" variety. So I told him that hopefully I'd have a bit longer (barring tragedies). We started discussing what makes a good life. He said he felt that it was living simply, without lots of debt, and most of all believing in God. Well..I agree about the debt, I'm figuring out how to deal with mine at the moment. But the God thing is a tricky one for me. I said that I wondered at nature, and marveled at the examples of creativity I saw around me, but that I couldn't necessarily make the step to God. He tried convincing me, and we ended up chatting for about half an hour, other people doing their washing joining in too. It's quite something when you set out to wash your knickers and return having discussed the meaning of life. It's a shame the Launderette is up for sale to the tune of £200,000. No doubt it will be taken over by someone trendy or turned into a swish home. I'm going to have to buy a washing machine and stop talking about God!





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