There's a clear sign the times have changed when Americans today spend more time thinking about what to wear than they do caring for what they wear. To drive this point home, today, when you say clothesline, people think of a fashion brand line of clothing, but the real irony in that is that "to date" most dictionaries including Merriam-Webster still only define the word, clothesline, as a piece of rope or a wire that people hang wet clothes on to dry. Surprisingly, this isn't the only word taking on a whole new meaning, there's many, including one of the most popular ones, "crypto", which according to Merriam-Webster, the word has two meanings. The first definition is a person who belongs secretly to a group and the second definition is cryptography, but when most people hear the word crypto today, they will most likely think of cryptocurrencies, which are decentralized digital currencies which have become extremely popular in the past five years. Matt Blaze, one of the foremost experts on cryptography had this to say on Twitter, "I think calling cryptocurrencies "crypto" is a poor choice, with bad consequences for both cryptography and cryptocurrencies. That doesn't mean I'm some kind of language prescriptivist, and your saying that 'language evolves' or other such prattle doesn't invalidate my concerns." It's definitely an interesting discussion as it seems our language is evolving so rapidly that we are defining words with alternative meanings instead of their actual definition. Are new generations starting to embrace dictionaries like, Urban Dictionary more so than long established dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster? As funny as it may sound, Urban Dictionary, is one of the most popular websites in the world, as is Merriam-Webster, but Urban Dictionary outranks Merriam-Webster, according to Alexa.
What once was a household staple in every home in America has become a lost art in every sense. We've been sold convenience without asking ourselves at what cost? Are we redefining the word clothesline and all but forgetting about the value of caring for our laundry? That just may be since the invention and clever marketing of the powered clothes dryer, the status quo has pushed a lot of states in the USA to actually ban clotheslines and make them illegal even on private property.
This has motivated a massive movement called the "Right To Dry" movement that works towards making clotheslines legal everywhere and it's making a big impact in many states like California that are striving to become more and more green and eco-friendly. California recently passed into law a bill banning all prohibitions on clotheslines even in apartments communities, HOA's, and condo associations. Florida, The Sunshine State, was the first to come up with a Right To Dry bill long ago and since then a lot of the states have followed suit with the bill.
Laundry plays such a big role in our lives that it's impact is literally felt everyday. It is threaded and woven into all aspects of our life. In the end, always remember, it's not just the "clothesline" you wear that defines you, it's also how you cared for it. Outsourcing your unmentionables is not only bad for your clothes, but your also exposing your clothes to everyones, essentially rubbing elbows with complete strangers. Nobody will care for your laundry as much as you. This loss of control also financially ties you to the dry cleaner giving up your self sustainability.
It's safe to say that dry cleaners don't "care" for your laundry the same way you do. Having the ability to have a clothesline today is a major luxury that shouldn't be taken for granted. If you have the space, why not consider caring for your laundry in a greener way? It will make all the difference for the planet and your laundry will love you for it and that love goes a long way when your wearing it out and about, day in and day out!