For the Love of a Spin Cycle

The romance is over.  The bud is off the rose.  The relationship that I had hoped would last 18 or more years, as was promised to me, is on shaky grounds.  It started out so beautifully.  The essence of purity permeated the air.  Amazing how this extraordinary feeling was wiped out in a flash. Trust will have to be rebuilt and may never, ever, be the same.  Only three short months ago I couldn’t get enough, I would walk by just to take a peek and now I can hardly stand to look it straight in the knobs.  My new washing machine went on the fritz and I must learn that I will now probably have a life long association with my new best friend, the repairman.

When my old faithful started eating socks after years of devoted and dependable service I was patient, trying desperately to ease the pain.  Little fixes worked at first and then I just knew it was time to let go and say goodbye to my steadfast colleague and fighter of dirt and stains.  To face the fact that I needed to replace this long time comrade was tough enough, but to enter an appliance store, with my husband and child in tow, was almost more than I could bear.

For better or worse, my spousal unit and I agreed that large purchases should be made together.  We have kept to this pretty well, except for the times he needed major camping or climbing gear; when he couldn’t live without the fancy-smancy stereo system; and when the necessity for the space age mattress distorted his senses so greatly he could not control his urge, the power of on-line ordering lured him and with a few strokes on the keyboard his request magically appeared right at our door step – but I digress.

Timing is everything when you enter the buying zone.  This is when my family must come together and present a united front.  If we waver the salesman will sniff out our dissent, pounce on the opportunity and we could end up with the top of the line and the one washing machine that can sing, dance and turn itself on.  I don’t need overkill, just a nice – trustworthy – cleanser of clothes.

Not as easy as it sounds.  In our fast paced world where new technology woos us from every shelf, when you make choices based on looks, matching colors and size; functionality and practicality sometimes doesn’t even enter into the equation. You wouldn’t think washing machines would make the cut on a high-tech list but things have drastically changed from the basic wringer model.  I was mesmerized, my son held spellbound by the computer technology, my husband in shock with the price…we were ready to proceed into the region of no return.

Demonstrations of the models began.  Discussion was directed from the salesman to my husband (who, by the way, has not done one load of laundry since I have known him) trying to entice him with all the bells and whistles.  Armed with more information than we could absorb, the salesman gives us a moment “to ourselves”, the time he expects emotion to overcome us and the yearning to buy drives us to purchase…he was right.  With the added fact that we received rebates for energy efficiency (for the washer, not us) and the feeling we were doing right for the environment, we couldn’t help ourselves.  The new washer would be delivered in 4 days.

Even though the newness was short lived and it will take time to re-establish our working relationship, I am willing to do my part.  Maybe I should start out with small loads of colors – not to stress the hot water cycle – and slowly build the trust from there.  I loved once and I can love again, even it does mean including the repair guy.

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life. Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-