Thursday, August 18, 2011

LAUNDROMAT LESSONS

Our laundromat is not fancy, half the washers don't work, and there is no tv, radio or internet to entertain us.It's very old and the only one in town.The change machine works on occasion and is very picky on what dollar bills it will change.God forbid you get a bill that has too many creases or has anything written or stamped on the face of the bill. There is an attendant present some of the time,when you need him, he is no where to be found. Typical of a  small town,some patrons, however, do leave their newspapers and magazines behind for others to read.

Some things you take for granted. You just know other people already KNOW this thing or that. You figure they have taught their children over their young years how things work in this world.Recently on my visit to do my weekly chore I came across a young mother and her little boy. I asked the boy how old he was and he held up three fingers. Oh, I love that age. They are so cute and are into everything. I sat waiting for my rinse cycle,when the 3 year old asked me "where the plug goes" on
the magazine I was reading, I just had to shake my head. Had he never seen a magazine before? I smiled and told him there wasn't a plug because it was a magazine. He looked puzzled so I showed him the pages. He looked so shocked when looking at it. This purely was a child who had never been acquainted with magazine reading materials, only the computer type displays. I gave him the book and let him flip through the pages. This magazine was nothing he had ever seen before.  I asked him if he had some books at home. I was almost afraid to hear the answer.
In his little world there were no magazines yet, but a computer or game box, yes he
knew what those were. He knew that the big big machines at the laundromat were for big big loads of clothes and you had to put "tons of money" in them to run them. He
knew that his mom would not let him go outside the door of the place unless she was with him and no matter how hot it got in there he was NOT to play with the big fan that was on wheels. Getting back to the books, he told me he had some small books but nothing as big as that magazine was. I asked him if he had ever been to the library?
Did he know what a library was? No, his mom had not taken him to the library. My heart just sank. He was missing so much and would be so behind other kids when starting school. I sat and told him all about the library and all the things the library had to offer him. His mother came and sat beside me staring at her blackberry phone. I wanted so badly to be able to tell her what the boy and I had been talking about. Turns out, I didn't have to because in a minute or two the boy came back from his "walk" around the inside of the building and asked his mom about the magazine. I took the opportunity to tell her I had showed him the book. I told her there were all types of magazines and books for kids at the library for him to look at. She told me that she was new in town and had no idea where the library was. I told her where it was,and that I was sure her boy would love to visit there.

The mother of the boy thanked me and as she gathered up her baskets, piled high,
smiled back at me as they left. As she strapped the boy into his car seat I heard him
tell her he wanted to go to the library. The seed had been planted. I can only wonder if the boy will ever really get to visit the library. I can only hope so.

The more that you read, the more you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.
Dr. Seuss







13 comments:

ShanaM said...

Good for you!
Reading is THE most wonderful thing!!

Terry's Tete-a-tete said...

Wonderful post Carol. You did that little boy good peaking his interest. They are so inquisitive at that age. I too hope the little boy get to the library. Reading is one of the most important things you can instill in your child.

Unknown said...

Good for you for planting a seed. Very cute story. I hope things are looking up for you.

Joe said...

That's amazing isn't it? I know that in the world now there's an advance in technology such as the Kindle or Nook that make it easier and cheaper to read and I admit that the price of books on that is enough to tempt me mightily. My daughter in particular is an avid reader and I'm very thankful for that. Love your blog today my friend...truly wonderful.

Beth said...

I LOVE!! to read. I have stated that often enough in my blogs. You did a wonderful thing by introducing that mother and son to the wonders of reading. Good job SIS!!

xoxo

Seeking Serenity said...

Holy COW!!
This is the stuff of science fiction!
Three years old and never read to-
I knew the day was coming, but wow.

Gerry Adams said...

Great story Carol. Although we are into computer and Android stuff, our kids love the library and bring home lots of books from there. Sad to hear that some kids don't experience that.

Sue Lehman said...

Good for you! That little boy might actually learn to love books and might even remember the lady in the Laundromat who told him about the library someday. I hope his Mom really listens to him and does take him there. I remember that very library when I was a kid---loved it!!! Pay it forward---it always pays off in the end.

Cindy said...

Way to go Carol!

Big Dave T said...

The library is within walking distance of our home here but last time I tried walking there, the swarming mosquitoes almost carried me off. Hope they're better in your neck of the woods.

My niece is a PR director for a library up north. I'm not sure it was her idea, but a suggestion box was put in the children's section. One of the handwritten suggestions put in the box was, "I hate my sister."

Unknown said...

It is always an adventure when you go to the Laundromat, not m favorite thing when I was young

Sherry said...

Great blog and what great way to spend your time while waiting for the laundry to finish. That little boy will remember that for a long time. Good Job!

Sherry said...

Loved this blog. Love that you took the time to talk with him.