Marriage Moats-Through the Wringer

Published: Wed, 04/03/13

Marriage Moats

Caring for Marriage

People use the phrase "through the wringer" but I wonder if anyone without gray hair knows what it means. I do, barely, though I have no memory of actually cranking one. My laundry spins instead, like a carnival ride. On sunny days I pin shirts on the line to trade the last of the moisture for freshness.

The gadget pressed clothes within a quarter inch of their lives, close enough to squeeze them but not tight enough to shred the fibers or break buttons.

I have no idea if pinafores and bloomers had nightmares about wringers. It is possible they found the cramped quarters comforting, like a Swedish massage. But like it or not they endured the rollers every Monday and the hot iron on Tuesday.

There are times when I feel like I am going through the wringer. Several current controversies come to mind. Ideals that feel like they are part of who I am get eked out between the pressure of how the people around me are behaving and the stone tablets that hold my life's creed.

I wonder if this is the Plan or a detour? I think I am supposed to pare down my attention, thinning it of extraneous worry and judgment. I have enough to do simply washing my own dirty laundry.

Photo by Stephen Conroy

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