Why does nobody talk about the old lady in the laundromat at 6am

I do my laundry at this spot on 3rd street every Sunday morning, and there's this one woman in her 70s who's always there folding sheets with perfect corners. Last week she told me she's been doing laundry for her grandkids since her daughter passed away 4 years ago. She showed me how she folds a fitted sheet in under 10 seconds flat, no wrinkles. Has anyone else met someone in a routine spot that just sticks with you like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana_black13d ago

Folding sheets with perfect corners" - that line really got me. My buddy Mike has this thing with the old guy who sharpens knives at the farmers market every Saturday. Mike brought in a dull chef's knife once and the guy spent like 15 minutes showing him how to hold the steel properly. Now Mike goes every few weeks just to chat with him and get his kitchen knives done. He says it's weird how a random person you see once a week can become this little anchor in your life. I think those routine encounters matter more than we give them credit for.

verawhite12d ago

Read something similar about how barbers often end up as informal therapists. Your buddy Mike would get it.

jake63812d ago

Have you tried just showing up with a six pack one time? That's how Mike can make that knife guy a real friend instead of just a Saturday thing.