Musings from another Laundromat: Guest Writer Edition
A couple of Sunday’s ago I visited a local Laundromat to wash a quilt I had just finished.
It was a project I had been working on for nearly three years, which was destined to have a new home with my mother.
I love quilting. It’s a tradition deeply rooted in the past that can have immeasurable effects on the future, for generations, when people admire its beauty and enjoy its warmth.
While at the Laundromat, I passed the time by exchanging instant messages with my friend Amanda. We chatted mostly about feeling under the weather and the unpleasant midlife change we’re approaching. We started talking about a guest spot on her blog – musings from another Laundromat. During the conversation I made this comment…
Then I got to thinking, “do I really?” And that led to “do I spend too much time in the past?” When I think of the most interesting parts of my life, they almost always involve my 20’s. I toured North America performing at air shows in order to show citizens the capabilities of the Air Force’s F-16. I served in a war (which is associated with a long list of “interesting” moments).
Then I saw this post….
I mulled it over for days.
While I drove 14 hours to deliver my quilt I mulled it over some more. While I drove 14 hours home I mulled it to death. I came to the conclusion that I should really ignore the past, make some life changes, and have an interesting future.
When I got home a funny thing happened. You see, I have a Facebook page dedicated to the squadron I served in during Desert Shield/Storm.
For years it’s had about 30 members and doesn’t get much activity. A friend suggested that I expand it to include all our bases squadrons that served (we were all commingled during the war).
I did and something amazing happened. Membership doubled within hours.
Old friends were reminiscing and sharing stories, some that I had never heard before. I was flooded with THE PAST!
For days I reunited with people, heard about their new lives, and shared mine. It was great!
So great that I’ve decided I shouldn’t ignore the past at all. I should embrace it. I can’t be the only person who think their 20’s were the greatest years, right?
However, I do need to make some changes so I that I’ll have some good stories from this decade.
I’ve joined a gym. I’m shedding some pounds. My goal is to take a 17 mile hike to the top of mountain this summer. Sounds like a good story. Another piece of my “life quilt.”
And what is life? A crazy quilt;
Sorrow and joy, and grace and guilt,
With here and there a square of blue
For some old happiness we knew;
And so the hand of time will take
The fragments of our lives and make,
Out of life’s remnants, as they fall,
A thing of beauty, after all.
-Douglas Malloch. From The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America
Posted on February 1, 2015, in Musings from the laundromat, Uncategorized and tagged Air Force, Desert Shield, musings from the laundromat, quilting, the past. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
I read this post while wrapped in a quilt that my grandmother made for me! And I used to share a little time with a ladies’ weekly quilting group each week at a church I served when I was younger (talk about living in your twenties). Their supply room was right next to my office. They gave me a quilt when I lost that job and had to leave.
Sorry, you just brought out some memories!
Climb that mountain. Figure out a way to make that possible and focus.
Was a guest writer, but I’m glad it gave you warm memories
Yeah, I realized that after I left the comment but decided to keep it any way. I like it when someone inspires a good memory.