White Walls

White wall tires are a fad of the past, but they were ever-present when we were youngsters. Instead of the fancy hub cap designs of today, a painted ring of white around the inner circle of car tires were all the rage and a sign of status in the same way that all-black rims of the present are considered the way to go.

Hal painted a white wall for me this month. One day when I was backing my Volvo into the garage, which I have done daily for the past 20-plus years, I headed straight into a set of pressboard shelves along the edge of the garage and wiped them out, hitting the neighboring storage shelves as well and sending soup cans, cleaning supplies and paper goods careening across the garage floor. I got out of the car and had to laugh, what else could I do. Of course my tank Volvo was fine.

Hal cheerfully bought replacement shelves and when he removed the old ones, we saw that the walls were pretty dingy from wear and tear over the years, so he agreed to paint the section of the wall where the new shelves would go. As with most house projects, when you start one section it leads to another. By the time the project was done, he had surprised me by painting the entire section of wall behind the washer and dryer as well, and had cleaned the counter for the laundry hangers as well. He was tired and aching but I was happy.

I have never minded doing laundry, but a fresh coat of paint makes the area feel brand new, and has given me a new look at an old routine. Sometimes it’s the little moments and a great work of kindness that continue to remind us how good we have it.