Like most, my marriage has a few things where the wife and I don’t quite see eye-to-eye. These disagreements are decades in the making, with no resolution any time soon. One involves who the better Van Halen front man was. Another is the pronunciation of opossum. Deep-dish or thin pizza crust is an irreconcilable difference.
And then there are towels.
I’ve typically tried to be a helpful husband, doing my share of house cleaning, cooking and laundry. But apparently, I cannot fold towels correctly. I have tried for years, using various geometric formations, and receiving countless lessons by her. A fold in half, then another half, followed by thirds seems like an adequate methodology. But apparently, that second fold is instrumental in doing so correctly and I just can't get it right.
It’s not just the folding of towels, either. There have been discussions on how often a towel should be used. The roots of this belong to my in-laws, who changed their towels with every shower—like we’re all living in hotels! The thinking, I suppose, is you would not use a pool towel more than once. Nor a napkin. My opinion differs; I think several days of use are OK. I mean, we’re drying off clean bodies here.
Speaking of hotels and linens, there have been other “conversations” regarding hotel towels. Like pens and note pads, are they therefor the taking? Even though they don’t charge you like they would if you took something from the mini-bar, my wife thinks it’s like taking the bedding. I think it falls more in the toiletry category since they are housed in the bathroom and you’re expected to take the provided soap bars and shampoos. Plus, growing up, some of the first written words I recognized were spelled out on the towel (Holiday Inn) that dried me off. One that I used for a few days at a time before it was laundered, of course.
There are no clear answers on these towel debates. I also have more towel questions:
Why do tags on them stick outward instead of being sewn onto the fabric?
Why aren’t all towel racks built directly over/under heat vents so that a warm towel is always waiting post-bath/shower?
How did we start drying off with towels in the first place? Did ancient people drip dry until one day someone realized the benefit of using something to wipe away wetness? Having extra fabric around would seem like a luxury. When did it become common place? And how often did those first users of towels wash them? And fold them?
Perhaps these are questions without good answers. Though I do recall reading that a towel is one of the most massively important things a traveler can pack. Do that, and I guess there’s no debate on taking them from hotels. You just have to worry about how to properly fold and wash them.
Comments