From the desk of Teresa Jordan, Executive Director – We had a meeting recently at the library in Lindsay, and in their bathroom was a strange mark on the floor. The mark caught my eye because it was not located where there might be wear and tear – by the sink or the door. Instead, the mark was in the middle of the room away from any real traffic areas. The dark, dirty patch contrasted with the light clean tile everywhere else.
A few seconds of investigation alerted me to the placement of the air freshener spritzer on the wall near the ceiling and, using Columbo-like deduction, I figured out that this patch in the floor was marked where the mist from air freshener landed.
Now when the mist is sprayed, you don’t really see it; it is a microscopic amount of air freshener and I am sure most of us were not aware that it really landed anywhere. Here was the proof though, that over time – days, weeks, years – it had built up and now could not be eradicated from the floor with regular mopping.
This experience made me think of the microscopic words that we spray around, that we sometimes vent, even alone in our cars or homes. These words don’t appear to land either – in fact sometimes a good rant seems to make the air smell better or us feel better. But what if that too is landing somewhere, building up, getting yuckier and yuckier until somehow there is muck spoiling an otherwise bright and light life?
Maya Angelou often talked about the weight of words and would ask people to leave her home if she thought they were being too negative. I guess she knew too that soon the mop would not be able to tackle the build up if allowed to pile and pile. Fresh air would never leave a stain and smells better.
- Photo by PS Photography on Pexels.com
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