Thursday, March 24, 2011

A Bad Back and a Laundry Mesh Bag:

First, let me explain to the few of you who have never experienced back pain: a small stress from the wrong direction inflicts, upon those of us who suffer: a sharp twinge, or, unpredictably, the start of weeks of abject pain, or something in between. We poor victims try to avoid any awkward stress, so I was fascinated to discover that my daughter carries her laundry loads in a mesh bag, instead of a laundry basket.

Our washing machine is in the cellar. I carry full laundry baskets down two flights of stairs, and I have to cantilever the basket’s weight in the process. Dangling a mesh bag seemed like a wonderful improvement. I have just obtained one, and perhaps I can learn to deal with it. But the first time I hefted a few pounds of laundry in my new bag, I got a surprise.

It swung.

And it continued to swing while I carried it.

Since my back currently experiences a threatening degree of tightness, the last thing I want is for the bag to waft off at a wrong, unexpected angle; because the bag weighs a great deal more than the proverbial straw. I traversed the first flight of stairs while my back flared little warning twinges and pops at me. Then I stopped to think.

At least part of the way, I can drag the bag on the ground. But not when the laundry is clean! I handled the second flight of stairs very carefully. Perhaps, with much forethought, the bag can be persuaded to hang motionless.

No comments: